The Breakfast Club ft The 6th Member
by timmycam15
Summary: What if there was a sixth member of the famous band of friends who have met in Saturday detention back in 1984? Lines would be changed, scenes would be added, relationships would be stronger. Join Tim, the new kid, as he ventures through detention after his first day of classes, where he will meet five other strangers. How will he do dealing with them?
1. The Day After

**Saturday, March 24, 1984 - Shermer High School, Shermer, IL**

Today's just another day. And I just wish that it would be any better.

Not sure if any of you guys know me. Well, I just got here, all the way from the Windy City. My life back there was kinda so-and-so. First of all, I was born a city person. I felt more accustomed to the urban lifestyle, even if there were a bunch of missteps and blunders that made me feel uncomfortable - sirens, traffic jams, city people in general, etc. But moving to a small town like Shermer, Illinois? Man, it's gonna be a long time before I get myself acclimated to this new environment.

I wasn't really popular back at my old stompin' ground I called my neighborhood, let alone my school. I didn't have many people back there I would consider my friends. And even if I did, they either turned out to be a bunch of jackasses or they just said 'hi' to me in the halls and that's it. Though I'm not much of a sociable person in general; I don't go to my old school's hangouts at all…

And going to a new school? Well, if you have transferred to a new school which is probably halfway near the end of the school year like I have, then you would have the exact same reaction as I would. I would have to do all of the stuff I never even got to do that was handed out in the beginning of the year because if you have transferred in the middle of the school year, the teachers would flat out ignore you and would simply talk about the main topic the class is already on so far. And because I've transferred here in the middle of the school year, it gives me little to zero time to even look for some new friends.

I only agreed to transferring here out of all the other school districts that were near the Windy City because, personally, I was getting tired of the whole 'city folk' attitude. I've been picked on and heckled by not just some of my not-so friends, but also by some city folks. Being shoved around, bumped into, threatened with violence, I could name all of the things that I've encountered during my time at the city.

Another reason why I agreed to transferring to Shermer was because my parents divorced when I was young. Dad stayed put in the Windy City for his job, while mom moved to Shermer, then remarried. Because I'm moving to Shermer, I had to leave my dad and the Windy City behind, at least for until a couple of weeks, and move in with my mom and step-dad. I guess spending more time with mom would work.

I mean, I suppose being the new kid could be worse. Well, I take it back. It is worse, today at least.

If you've started Friday, March 23, then you've got a lot to think about in the back of your mind. 'Have a good first day', my mom and stepdad said to me as I walked from their house to my new school. I remember those words, and that's what I try to do. All I wanna do is start my first day off with a bang, even if it started on a Friday, of all days. In my opinion, it felt too late for me to even start. But what do I care? My parents and principals of Shermer agreed I would start Friday.

I've gone into my new classes and have tried as much as I could to be a good new citizen. I smiled to myself after fifth period, because the next period is the homestretch. That way, I would have successfully finished my first day of school, and celebrate in style.

Then come sixth period, and do you know what happens? Verbal shenanigans. That's what happened. I got myself detention for the next day… Saturday. One of the two days where we don't have school, and I have to spend detention on a weekend.

'Have a good first day' echoed through my mind. Before sixth period, I was enjoying it. Cue sixth period, it's all gone to shit. My first day of school, and I get detention right before it ends?! How even someone gets that, I would never know!

My parents knew that I would never go as far to get detention. They have called the principal and have explained the situation to them for me. They were at least sincere and understanding that I would never screw up. They told them that I was actually a good student, and that they would do anything to relinquish my detention. Despite everything, the principal, who sounded a lot like a dickhead from the other end of the line, refused to even budge, stated to my parents that all detention handouts are final, and it would go on my record. I was outright pissed. I still am.

My new leaf had already turned orange. I thought I'd get past all this crap, but shit happens out of nowhere, no one can at least expect it to happen. Yes, what I did was really unnecessary and uncalled for, but there was no need for me to get a detention. A little need, but not too much! If anything, I couldn't help myself when I said that. It was like I was forced to say it.

I walked back to the school from home the day after my first day, (not) ready to take on Saturday detention. Since I've begun this year in the aftermath of Old Man Winter's wrath and the very beginnings of spring, it was a brisk chilly day out, and boy I meant to bundle up before leaving. My gray t-shirt did nothing compared to the wind that was slamming into my body. My jeans, at least, protected my legs from the wind that was hitting me. It could be colder today because it was just after sunrise, and because detention starts real soon, I could assume it could get a little warmer than what say, 45 degrees Fahrenheit, minus the wind.

Hiking along the sidewalk that overlooked the dreary off-white school that looked like it could use an update, I let out a huge sigh, overcome with what would even come before I would know what is coming. I pulled out a map of the interior of the school that I swear I did NOT steal, and studied where I am supposed to go. I pointed my finger to the main entrance, and then navigated it towards where I was informed to go: the library. Better a library than a classroom.

As I put the map back into my pocket, I reached the entrance, putting my right hand on the railing, looking up at the school. I let out a shiver, either from the brisk chilly air, or the hesitation of walking in there. "Way to start your new life here." I lamented to myself.

After a couple seconds of shivers and hesitation, I finally had the balls to step inside the school. It would either be me going in and embracing detention, as my parents would want me to do it, or I could skip detention, and get screwed over by more detentions, maybe even suspension, or even worse, expulsion.

At this point, I just want to get this damn thing over with. I could be spat on by any ruffian that I encounter, whether they were in the city or in Shermer, and even then, I would still continue to try and change my image. I'm quite aware of what I'm going through as of now.


	2. Hate-filled

**7:01 a.m. - Shermer High School - Library**

As I walked around the school, searching for the library, I looked around the hallways, observing a bunch of features. I walked through a hallway that was half-dimmed, and I thought to myself, _Is this school too cheap to renovate itself? Wouldn't be surprised if this place closed down a year later after I graduate. _I have walked down these hallways the day before, but I never thought they would be this eerily outdated. I don't know if I'm complaining about everything being dated, or me being the only living soul venturing through these corridors.

Through another part of the hallways, I stepped over something that felt like paper. I lifted my foot to see a newspaper. It wasn't just any newspaper. It was Shermer High's exclusive magazine article, 'The Shermer High Bull Dog', headlining 'Clarke Sparks Grapplers'. _Some people are too dumb enough to find a trash can._ I thought to myself.

I kept on walking to another part of the hallways, passing a carved message on the wall that read 'I don't like Mondays'. _Real mature_, I thought to myself again, before realizing I was getting ahead of myself, _I better stop judging this school before I question why I even came here in the first place_.

I saw the entrance to the library. Near the entrance was a plaque saying 'Man of the Year'. I observed the different men (Ken Turek, Carl Reed, Joel Prihoda, yadda yadda yadda...) throughout the days, and for the first time I entered this school, I had a thought to myself that was more positive, _These men must've had a righteous time here when they were here. _

I walked into the entrance of the library. To my right, there was a big office filled with books and files with a desk inside. I suspect that that was the librarian's office. Beside the office was stairs that led up to the second floor of the library. To my left, there was some sculpture made of clay, or stone, and more sections of the library. In front of me were six tables, with three seats for each table, two tables in three rows. I headed towards the first table in the last row. My other option was one of the other tables in the front, but I chose this table because I wanted to just lay low for a little while if there were ever any other suckers who'd come in. As I've mentioned, I'm not much of a sociable person in general.

I place my bag onto the chair next to me, as I sigh and picture myself talking with the instructor, whoever they actually are, or if they are coming to here at all. I always wondered what detention was like. A couple of people back at my old school have mentioned that detention is just them explaining to my instructor what they've have done wrong, how they would criticize them, and how they could move on from there and how they could improve on being a better person.

I let out a deep yawn, since I stayed up until midnight last night, trying to get as much homework I was rewarded for starting school later than everyone else done as possible. All I had for breakfast was chunks of granola, which, nowadays, I find too inedible to stomach. My head was swimmy and I was hoping that this detention session would be quick so that I could go back home, take a nap, and start the day over again.

I kept on bouncing my left foot, impatiently waiting for the instructor to arrive and take charge of detention. I kept on looking at my rusty old wristwatch, which I could barely make out and read the time: 7:03.

But as I kept on waiting, I started wondering to myself, _Why the hell am I in a library for detention in the first place? _I get that a library is roomier, but why a library than a classroom or an office? If it'll be a quick and easy session where we just talk about what I did wrong and what I need to do to improve, why should I bother being in a library? I kept on asking myself, _I mean, who else is gonna come in here for detention?_

I stood up and glanced at the doors, seeing if there was a teacher walking in to monitor detention, or another fellow classmate who has detention as I do. I kept on doubting the latter, but I still looked at that door as if it was drying paint.

I looked away thinking to myself, _I mean, I'm hopin' I'm the only one here. I just hope that there ain't any other suckers who have detention as me. _

It was that moment when I asked myself again, _Why did I think about that?!_

Hearing faint footsteps, my eyes focus on the doorway again. Three seconds later, the person making those footsteps walks in. She was a young lady, neatly dressed, her hair short and cherry-colored, and she looked stunningly pretty. I gazed at her, but she wasn't noticing me. She went towards the first table in the first row, and took a seat at the third chair.

I look again at the doorway and see another sucker, err… student, walking in the library. He was a thin young man in a nerdy outfit, with short blonde hair underneath his woolie hat. I suspected that he had a personality of a genius. A _happy-go-lucky_ genius. He looked at me as he walked. I tried to not pay attention to him. I kinda suspected that he was curious and did not know who I was, since I am fresh to this school. Then he turned away and looked at the cherryhead. He sat in the third seat behind her and in front of me.

I look yet again at the doorway and another student walked into the library. He was a built-up young man with dirty-blonde fur on his head. I instantly suspected that he was a jock, a wrestler, to be specific, since he was wearing his letterman jacket. He didn't look at me, as he looked at the cherryhead, her looking back. He pointed to the first chair that she sat at. When she shrugged, he sat at her table.

I studied them in the front, and I could tell that they were among the popular kids at Shermer. I mean, one of them is a jock, one of them is a prep, and jocks and preps usually have the most popular relationships in all schools' student bodies, at least from my perspective.

Hearing footsteps again, my eyes focus on the doorway, seeing another student. From my perspective, he looked… what's that word? Well, let me just say he looks intimidating and not the type of person I'd wanna hang out with if I were friends with him. He wore dark shades and had neck-length brown hair. On his way to the tables, he kept at the librarian desk, touching various things as he kept walking, taking what looked like a pad of small paper and stuffing it in his oversized tan coat.

He stared at the letterman and the cherryhead, put his shades on his head, and walked to the table that the nerd was sitting at. The tough guy glared at the nerd as he pointed to him the table on the other side, and just like every other nerd who encounters a ruffian, he gets up from his seat, and moves to the table diagonal from mine, picking up stuff that he dropped, just wanting to get away from the tough guy. Then I saw the tough guy place the chair the nerd sat at in front of the middle chair, where he sat, and placed his feet on the other chair, taking his shades off his head.

I knew that he was sitting behind the letterman and the cherryhead just so that he could do something with the cherryhead. And I thought to myself, _Geez! Does everyone have something with the cherryhead?_, as I've remembered that the nerd sat behind her before he was booted, the letterman sat with her at her table, and the tough guy kicked the nerd out just so he could sit at the table behind her and the letterman.

Then the tough guy turned around and stared at me. When my eyes met his, I quickly covered my eyes and tried burying my head. I felt like I was gonna receive physical damage from him. When I peaked between my fingers, I could barely make out that he had a smirk on his face.

More footsteps were heard from the entrance of the library. I uncover my face to see a mysterious-looking young lady dressed all in dark and had messy dark hair. She quietly went around the cherryhead and letterman's table, the tough guy's table, and my table, before going around the sculpture, for some reason, as she headed to the table across from mine and behind the table where the nerd sat, sitting at the third chair. Everyone looked at her like something was wrong with her. I could hear the cherryhead and the letterman snicker to each other, and I could see the nerd turn away from her, confused.

Meanwhile, I thought to myself, _I feel like I'm in prison_. I've been waiting for that instructor to come to detention and tell me, or us, since there are five other students in here with me, how detention will work and how long it'll be.

I heard more footsteps, and I was like, _You've gotta be shitting me!_. I glared at the sight of a taller, older looking man wearing a really dated suit, one that I feel should've been worn at a funeral in the early 20th century, holding a bunch of sheets of papers for us. He had that stern look on his face, but beyond that look I saw in him, I saw a gruff madman who deep down, hates all children, and wants to make sure that they have been 'extinguished'. I saw the harshness and cruelty he would bring if one were to make even the slightest slip ups. He's one of those teachers who I bet would send someone to a minefield and would yell at them to escape while wearing a sleep mask or a blindfold, riding a unicycle. If anyone told me what the name Richard Vernon meant, I would say that the name is hate-filled, which is something that this guy has: the name, the hate for everyone. Shit, everything about this guy is hate-filled. And another thing too, he's not just a teacher. He's the fucking vice principal of Shermer!

He stopped in front of all the tables, with everyone looking at him, as he glared at all of us. "Well well…" he said to us, as if we were labelled as disrespectful little asshats, "Here we are." Just hearing the hate-filled voice from his mouth was murder to my ears, "I want to congratulate you for being on time…"

The cherryhead raised her hand, getting Vernon's attention, "Excuse me, sir?" she asked, "I think there's a mistake." Vernon looked at her with suspicion. "I know it's detention," she continued, "But, um… I don't think I belong in here."

I rolled my eyes in disbelief. I could tell that she came from a snobby rich family. I could tell that she wants a type of treatment that the nerd, lettermen, tough guy, mess, and I could not get, the type her parents would do to buy her out of the library, if not out of detention.

But Vernon, being our detention instructor, and also being the pain in the ass he is, ignored her. He went on, "It is now, 7:06. You have exactly eight hours and fifty-four minutes to think about why you're here. To ponder the error of your ways."

My glare at Vernon intensified when he said that I was gonna have to sit here with five other strangers for NINE hours. It's an entire day I have to spend stuck thinking about what I did to earn detention on a weekend day. But I'm not the only one who is upset with nine hours of being stuck in a library. I saw the nerd check is wristwatch, and the letterman and cherryhead look at each other in disbelief. I'm pretty sure that they're just going with it, and they'd expect me to do the same. So who am I to be the only one disgusted Vernon is being an unnecessary ass to us for making us stay here for nine hours? I mean, I'm a new kid and this is the first time having detention here, not that I had detention back at my old school. If I tell him off, he'd probably spit fire like a dragon.

Speaking of spit, I, along with everyone else, except for the mess across from me, saw the tough guy look up and spit in the air, catching his spit when it came down. The cherryhead, in particular, gasped with the expression that says, 'Why do I have to be here with this predator in back of me?' She was about to say something to Vernon, but…

"You will not talk." he interjected, pointing to her.

The nerd was about to hop to the seat next to him, but Vernon catches him, "You will not move… from these seats." The nerd looks at Vernon for a second before hopping back to his original seat.

"And you…" Vernon walked over to the tough guy, who still had his feet on the other chair. It wasn't long until Vernon swiped the chair away, leaving the tough guy's feet in the air until he dropped them back to the ground. "...Will not sleep." Vernon finished, putting the chair to the other side of the table.

I still wondered what those pieces of paper Vernon held were supposed to be. Thankfully, and unfortunately, my thought was answered. "Alright people, we're gonna try something a little different today." Then he looked at me and pointed his finger to me. "And even though _you_ started yesterday, I expect something you should learn from this experience… considering not only is this your second day at Shermer, not an official _school day_ I would say, but also your first detention!"

I looked up at Vernon, still having a glare on my face, but also confused. "How do you know that?" I asked.

Vernon put his hands on the table I sat and said, "You think I was born yesterday? I read your file. And you were a good albeit unsociable student back in your school in the North Side… And I thought you'd change a new leaf and start at good ol' Shermer High…," His head leaned in closer to mine, "Next thing you know, you wound up right here, and there's no doubt that it'll go on your permanent record."

My glare intensified, but Vernon did not seem to care. It felt like he was asking for me to hate him, and the more I would glare to him, the more he would feel satisfied with my hatred towards him.

"Sir?" the cherryhead raised her hand again, "I'm not sure if you're supposed to say that in public or in front… uh, a couple other students. Don't you think talking about files should be private?"

Vernon glared at the cherryhead, pointing to her, "I've also read _your_ file, missy!" he threatened, "Unless you want me to bring _that_ up, I suggest you talk less and think about why you're here today. This young man's file is my concern, and MY concern only, not yours." The cherryhead was left with her mouth agape, embarrassed that Vernon has read her file, as she turned towards the letterman, putting her elbow on their table and her hand on her forehead. I saw the letterman glare at Vernon, not wanting to give her any more shit than she, supposedly, already has.

"Now where was I?" Vernon asked to himself, "Oh yeah, this!" Vernon held up the stack of paper he held, placing one onto my desk. "_We_ are going to write an essay…" He walks over to the mess. "Of no less than a thousand words…" he said, placing a piece of paper onto her table. The mess turned around to see Vernon, as he walked over to the tough guy's table. "Describing to me, who you think you are." he finished, placing a paper on his table.

_When you say 'we', you mean us and not you, correct?_ I thought.

"This a test?" the tough guy asked.

Vernon ignored the tough guy's question, and walked over to the nerd's table. "And when I say essay," he said placing a paper in front of the nerd, before heading to the letterman and cherryhead's table, "I mean essay." The tough guy put his two feet on top of his sheet and on the table.

Vernon goes back to the front of the rows and continues, "I do _not_ mean a single word repeated a thousand times." He placed two sheets of paper - one for the letterman, one for the cherryhead.

_He expects us to write an essay of a thousand words or more?_ I thought, _He's crazier than I thought he'd be!_

"Is that clear, Mr. Bender?" Vernon turned to the tough guy.

"Crystal." the tough guy, whose name I now know is Bender, responded, although he did not seem to care about the essay.

"Good." Vernon said, "Maybe you'll learn something about yourself. Maybe you'll even… decide whether or not you care to return." He pointed at me. "I'm looking at _you_, young man in the back, 'cause I'm pretty sure you are cookin' something."

I looked up at Vernon again. "I already know the answer, man." I responded to him, nonchalantly, yet still mildly pissed with him.

"I'm sure you do." he talked back to me, with a hint of doubt in his face of me 'not coming back', since I already got on his bad side the first day I was here.

The nerd stood up from his seat. "Uh, you know, I can answer that right now sir." he said, awkwardly, yet confident, "That'd be a 'no', no for me."

"Sit down, Johnson." Vernon shot down the nerd.

"Thank you sir." the nerd sat down.

Vernon turned back to the rest of us. "My office," he pointed to the office outside the library, across from the library entrance, "Is right across that hall. Any monkey business is ill-advised."

I could make out a look on Bender's face, studying from his possibly delinquent eyes, that he is going to do just otherwise. _He must really LOVE Mr. Vernon._ I thought to myself, smirking at him.

Vernon looks at us again, "Questions?" he asked.

I saw that the nerd looked down at his sheet, the letterman and cherryhead shook their heads, and the mess did not have any kind of motion, whatsoever. Hell, she just stared at Vernon in the same position as she did when she first sat down.

Of course, I stayed there, silent. God forbid, I ask something, and Vernon would either shoot it down, or answer in the most negative, slimy way possible.

Vernon was about to leave until… "Yeah, I got a question." Bender said. Vernon looked at him, suspiciously. "Does Barry Manilow know you raided his wardrobe?" I could hear the cherryhead and letterman stifle laughter.

"I'll give you the answer to that question, Mr. Bender, next Saturday." Vernon shot that question down like shooting down a balloon with a rock from a slingshot. He pointed at Bender again, "Don't mess with the bull young man, you'll get the horns."

Then he turned to me, "And you…" I looked up again, still glaring at Vernon. "By my understanding, you may have been under the impression, since yesterday, that just because you're new to this school, you can be immune from these sorts of punishments for a small amount of time." He walks over to me slowly. "You may have also thought that detention's all about discussing your problems with me, and thinking how you should improve for the future." I nod. "But I tell you, and I expect you to heed my warning: think again." As soon as he came to my table, he hopped his ass onto my table and leaned in, putting his right hand on my corner. He continued, "Shermer High is a great school, thanks to me." He points to himself with his left thumb, "And I'm gonna make sure I keep it that way…" He turns to everyone else, "By kicking all the punks and screw-ups like all of you to the curb! …Until all of you remember that by the time you all graduate, you are all equally worthless and pathetic, no matter what shape, no matter what size." He turns back to me, "Do I make myself clear?"

I look at Vernon, who was filled with nothing but hate, then look away. "Yeah whatever…" I sighed.

He points to me again. "I'd change your attitude if I were you, young man." he said, darkly, "This is NOT the type of attitude I expect to hear from a new student, _who_, is trying to integrate from a city folk, to a more laid-back, rural kind of guy…" I look at him yet again. "You'd be sorely mistaken if you end up getting expelled from this school." he added, before walking back to the front.

"I expect all of you to write an essay by the end of the day!" he reiterated, "No less, than a thousand words…" He strutted out of the library and headed to his office across the halls.

As soon as he was out of earshot, I finally get to say something insulting about him, "Shithead…" I whispered to myself.

Bender folded his arms and turned his head towards me. "You can say that again." he told me, with a smirk on his face, "That man… is a brownie hound."

"Mmm." I muttered, looking at my sheet of paper, wondering how I can write an essay of a thousand words or more before 4:00, eight hours and fifty minutes before I get out of this place and never have to deal with Vernon again.

Everyone else was about to get settled in, because we were all gonna 'get comfortable' for the next several hours. But suddenly, we start to hear clicking noises. Loud clicking noises. We start to wonder where that was coming from, until I looked at the mess, who was making these loud clicking noises. Everyone looked at her, annoyed as the clicking kept on going. My skin was getting goosebumps from all that clicking.

Turns out the mess was clicking because she was chewing her nails. It wasn't long until she noticed the nerd, cherryhead, and letterman staring at her, mouths agape. She turned to specifically me and Bender, our mouths also agape. Nevertheless, she kept on chewing on her nails.

"You keep eating your hand, you're not going to be hungry for lunch." Bender said, his smug attitude still ever-present.

The mess chewed her nail, and then spat it at Bender, as a way to intimidate him. It wasn't surprising to see that he didn't even budge.

"I've seen you before, you know?" said Bender, studying and pointing to her. The mess turned away from Bender, ignoring his suspicions.

I looked down at my paper again, wondering what I should do to write a thousand words worth that would 'rock Vernon's socks off'. What do I care? He won't care about what I say. For all I know, he'll probably be reading it and calling the essay and I worthless.


	3. Hell is Looming

**7:12 a.m. - Shermer High School - Library**

It has been almost 10 minutes since I have entered detention and found myself sitting with a bunch of stranger students. Detention, so far, just sucks. The worst part is the fact that we all have to write an essay of a thousand words discussing who we are. I kept on thinking to myself who I think I am.

"Who I am…" I told myself out loud, "Who does he think I am? A loser? An idiot? A waste of space?"

Bender looked behind me, raising an eyebrow. I looked at him with a deadpan expression. "What are _you_ looking at?" I asked, annoyed, before refocusing my attention to my paper.

I started writing down a couple of words on my paper: _Dear Mr. Vernon_…

So far so good, I guess… I've written three words, or two… Only nine-hundred ninety-seven or ninety-eight words to go before I pass this shit in and call it a day. I start thinking of what else I should write on my sheet.

Up in the table diagonal of mine, the nerd was thinking of what to write himself. "Who do you think I am?" he asked himself, "Who are you? Who are you?" I see him putting the bottom of his pen on his bottom lip and the top of the pen on his upper lip. He had some goofy expression on his face. "I am a walrus." he giggled to himself.

I look up to see the nerd and his crazy antics. Bender's also seeing this too. It wasn't long until the nerd looked at us staring at him. Bender yanked his scarf off as the nerd chuckled, embarrassed, taking his pen out of his lips.

I lost interest in seeing this nerd's whole embarrassment, and I refocused on my paper. I started writing down a couple of words: _I know that I am new here to this school, and I know that I have screwed myself up on my first day of classes. But starting a new leaf here is an interesting opportunity for me to seize, and I never intended on trying to stir mayhem here… _

As I kept on writing down on my paper, Bender kept on looking at the nerd, as both of them took off their jackets. They both saw what the other was doing. Bender took his jacket off while the nerd kept his jacket on, blowing into his hands, rubbing them, and tried staring at his paper. But he felt like it was no use in getting Bender's eyes off of him. The nerd turned to him and sheepishly told him, "It's the shits, huh?" Bender glared at the nerd.

As I kept on writing, Bender turned his head over to see me. I tried to ignore him staring at me, still focusing on my essay. Then…

**SLAM!**

Bender slammed his left hand onto my paper. If this didn't get my attention, I don't know what else would. Would it be him physically touching me? Or shoving that sculpture down that would crush me?

I look up, giving off a sigh of annoyance. "Yes, can I help you?" I asked Bender.

"So I assume you're the new kid, huh?" asked Bender, "Welcome to the prison known as Shermer High School, run by your not-so friendly neighborhood leader, Dick Vernon."

"And so I've been told." I say as I reach my hand for his.

"Yeah, that's not gonna happen, buddy." Bender said, refusing to give out his hand to mine. I withdraw my hand into my pocket.

Bender looked around a little bit before thinking of something to say to me, "So… what got you to become the apple to Vernon's eye?"

I gave a nonchalant shrug, "Just got into some trouble. Said some things that shouldn't be said…"

"Oh yeah?" asked Bender, "Like what _kinds_ of things?"

The three other students in front of me turned to see us. "You don't have to say what you've done." said the cherryhead, "Not that it's important, but-"

"Oh no," Bender turned back to face the cherryhead, interrupting her, "I just wanna know what he said that got Vernon's panties in such a bunch."

"Vernon wears panties?" the nerd asked.

"I didn't ask _you _to get involved with this." Bender shot down the nerd. He turned to me again, "So who'd you verbally assault?"

I didn't say anything. This did not sit well for ol' Bender though...

"Hey new kid..." he said, "Can ya answer my question?"

I gave another sigh, "I didn't verbally assault him, i-it just slipped out."

"Slipped out?" asked Bender, "That doesn't answer my question. _Who'd_ you verbally assault?" He tested me, more agitated.

"Can you just drop it?" the cherryhead interjected, "It's borderline obvious you're making him uncomfortable, and I doubt pressuring for answers is gonna help it."

Bender turned his head towards the cherryhead, who turned her back against him. When I looked at him, he had a smirk. He crumpled up his paper and threw it at the cherryhead's direction. The cherryhead, along with the letterman, took notice to it, but they chose to ignore Bender.

I saw Bender looking down at his balls, before I looked back down at my paper, wanting to know what else I should write.

It wasn't long until Bender started singing, "Nah, nah nah nah nah nah…" Bender started singing a bunch of 'nahs' as this got me and the nerd's attentions. As I was distracted by Bender's singing, I could see the nerd took pleasure listening to it.

_What the hell happened to no talking, anyways?_ I thought to myself, remembering Vernon's warnings of what not to do during detention. The more Bender sang, the more I lost my focus on the essay. The more focus I lost, the more words I thought I would jot down would be lost.

Soon, Bender started singing actual words. I couldn't know what song he was singing, and I couldn't even care. At this point, even the mess looked over her shoulder to see Bender singing. The nerd still was taking pleasure listening to Bender's singing. And me? I was covering my ears, trying to focus on my essay. _Can it get any worse?_ I thought to myself again.

It did, unfortunately. Bender started singing 'Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah…" in the same tone. I was surely not having it, and neither was anyone else.

Eventually, the letterman shot his head back and glared at Bender, who finally noticed the singing. "Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!" Bender finally finished his note, with the letterman still staring at him. Bender cracked a smile towards him. "Take a picture. Lasts longer!" he said. The letterman did not want to even get started with Bender, as he turned back around to focus on how he should start his own essay.

_Thank god that guy shut his damn mouth!_ I thought, kinda satisfied, as I started to write more words down again.

"I can't believe this is really happening to me." I could hear the cherryhead say to herself.

"Oh, shit!" Bender exclaimed in disbelief.

_Oh shit myself… _I thought to myself, hearing Bender's words for the first time since seconds ago…

As the cherryhead, nerd and I turned and looked to see Bender, Bender asked us all, "What are we supposed to do if we hafta take a piss?!"

_Pee your pants! I'd totally wanna see you do that kind of action._ I thought again, glaring at Bender, just anxiously waiting for him to shut up.

Everyone else turned back around (Cherryhead: Please…) and ignored Bender's complaint. "You gotta go…" he said looking down at his fly. Then another thing I heard was the sound of unzipping. "You gotta go!" He was about ready to piss on the floor, as I was about ready to stab him with my pencil.

Everyone else looked back at him. "Oh my god…" the cherryhead complained, disgusted.

The letterman looked underneath Bender's table. "Hey, you're not urinating in here man!" A disgusted letterman admonished Bender.

"Don't talk, don't talk! It makes it crawl back up!" Bender warned the letterman.

The nerd and I looked underneath his table and saw him pulling down his underwear, ready to discharge disgusting yellow liquid.

"You whip it out and you're dead before the first drop hits the floor!" the letterman threatened Bender.

Bender gasps in mock shock, then tries to flirt with the letterman, "You're pretty sexy when you're angry… Grrrr…"

Meanwhile, I imagined what would happen if Bender _did_ in fact urinate on the floor. I thought that had Bender pissed on the floor, we would have to suffer through smelling the stench of it. Eventually, Vernon would come in, notice the piss stain underneath Bender's table, and go, 'Bad Bender, Bad, Bad, Bad Bender!' and would kick him out of the library, and that way, we would finally be free from that jerk. Unfortunately, I got another thought: Vernon would force us to clean up the mess Bender made. And trust me, I know how bad cleaning up piss is. I cleaned up my dog's piss almost every month when she leaks.

As I kept on writing, Bender turned back to me and tapped on the table, "Hey new kid." he got my attention again.

"Yeah?"

"What say you get up and close that door," he says as he points to the library entrance, "And then we'll get prom queen over there," he points to cherryhead, who perked up, "Impregnated!"

The cherryhead shoots her head back again, having an angry expression on her face. The letterman also shot his head back too. I could tell he was not pleased with Bender at the moment.

"Hey!" the letterman tries to get Bender's attention.

"Thanks, but I'm good." I said, trying to refocus on my essay.

Bender did not want to take 'no' for an answer. "What's wrong, buddy?" he asked me, his smugness still ever present, "You don't want to make your _babies_ with her?"

I raise my head to him again. "What's your point?"

"I'm saying that'd it be a great honor for someone to be doing the hots with a hot babe," he pointed his thumb back at her, "And be the daddy with _equally_ hot squirts, especially when it's with a _prom_ queen!"

"Hey!" shouted the letterman.

Bender turned to face him. "What?"

"If I lose my temper, you're totaled man!" the letterman threatened again.

"Totally?"

"Totally!"

"Totally think we should all just leave each other _alone_ here…" I said, exasperated, still trying to see what I should write about 'who I am'. I've already jotted down fifty words on my essay, and I'm still a long way from it being done done. So what's a thousand divided by fifty? Twenty? So I'm one-twentieth away from finishing this essay.

"Why don't you shut up!" the cherryhead exclaimed to Bender, "Nobody here is interested!"

"Really!" the letterman agreed. "Butthead," he said to the cherryhead regarding Bender.

Bender sat there, still unfazed and still wanting to stir up chaos. "Well hey Sporto! What'd you do to get in here? Forget to wash your jock?" he taunted the letterman.

The letterman was about to turn his head, but the cherryhead said to him, "Maybe he'll stop...?"

"Did ya break a locker?" Bender kept on egging him. The letterman shot an already angry look towards him. That didn't stop him though, "Did ya ejaculate on some panties?"

The nerd looked at the situation and wanted to try and break things up as carefully as possible, "Excuse me fellas," he asked, nervously, "I think we should write our papers."

_Nerd's got a point_, I thought to myself, wanting this bickering to stop as much as the next guy.

"Look, just because you live in here doesn't give you the right to be a pain in the ass, so KNOCK IT OFF!" the letterman shouted at Bender, ready to inflict whatever kind of violence he could onto him. If we was willing to inflict any kind violence onto him just to shut him up, I would be game to see it.

But Bender, still smug as ever, ignored the letterman's warning. "It's a free country." he told him.

"If it's a free country, then why do we have rules and laws that govern us every day?" I asked, still annoyed.

The nerd nodded in agreement with me. "New kid's got a point y'know?"

Bender turned towards the nerd. "Hey, he _has_ a name, y'know?" he fired back at him, making the nerd turn back and stay out of it again. Bender turned to me and said, "Speakin' of which, what _is_ your name?"

I looked at him, uninterested. "Tim." I told him, "Tim Camm."

Bender gave a short smile, "Pleasure meeting you… Tim."

I gave a sort of side smile to Bender, then looked down at my essay again, continuing to think of what else I should write.

Bender, who was still looking at me with those predator eyes, smirked at me again, "Y'know Tim…" he asked, gaining my attention on him yet again, "You're not much of a joiner, are ya?"

"Joiner?" I asked, confused. I thought to myself if the word 'joiner' meant that I don't like to join along with conversations. Fine, maybe I don't like engaging in conversations… not yet, at least. But I still don't want to get in any uncomfortable situations with Bender.

"I'll tell ya something," said Bender, "You're just sittin' there all bored and mindless... just being the dork a joiner would not be."

_What about the others?_

The letterman turned around to see Bender, "Alright champ, maybe you oughta zip your lips." he said, still angry, but in a calmer tone.

"Oh look who's coming in to new kid's aid!" Bender said, turning his head to see the letterman, "You always have to be a hero, don't ya?"

"And you're the villain?" I asked with a slight smirk.

The letterman nodded his head. "I think so too." he said.

"Oh look!" Bender exclaimed, "You and new kid have something you agree on! Ya know, you two would make a _cute_ couple!"

_Uh, wiseass, I'm new here... He doesn't know me, yet..._

"Yeah... me and..." he started, "Tim, is it?" he asked me. I nodded. "We're a match made in heaven..." he said to Bender, sarcastically.

Bender grew a smile. "_Oh_!" he said, "Are you saying that you and Tim might be becoming a thing?!"

"What?" I asked.

The letterman shook his head. "Bullshit." he said, "We barely know each other, there's no way we'd be a couple. There wouldn't be anything _between_ us anyways!"

Bender's smile dropped. "Are you a homophobe?"

"No way..." the letterman muttered, his voice reaching a point where he is about to lash out on Bender, verbally, and possibly physically.

"I have a pen pal who is gay." the nerd said, raising his hand for attention.

None of us paid any attention to the nerd. The letterman turned his head back to focus on his essay. Either that, or he's staring at a wall that's like 20 feet away from him and the cherryhead.

Bender hid another smirk. And just as things were about to slow down, I start to hear something else from his mouth...

"Sporto and new kid, sittin' in a tree," he started singing in a high, nasal, taunting voice, "K-I-S-S-I-N-"

The letterman whipped his head around to face Bender, fired up again, "How 'bout you shut it!"

Bender turned to the letterman. "Really?" he asked without a care in the word.

"For real!"

"What are you gonna do about it, _Sporto_? You gonna go to new kid for support like ya did for him?"

The letterman was seeing red. It was clear that he looked like he was about to beat the ever-loving shit out of him. "I ain't in the mood to deal with your shit today, dickhead! Knock it off already or else!"

"Or else... what?" a sly Bender kept taunting.

The letterman said nothing else. He turned his head around as the cherryhead looked at him. "He's just doing it just to get a rise out of you!" she reassured him, "Just ignore him."

Bender, being the smug snake he is, whipped his hair, and looked at the cherryhead, "Sweets?" he asked her, gaining her attention, "You couldn't ignore me if you tried!"

I saw the cherryhead glare at him for a couple seconds before turning back, still intending on ignoring Bender. The nerd, mess, and I were distracted by him, staring at him as he kept on making a scene.

A few seconds passed by, and he was studying the two popular kids.

"So…" Bender carried on, before waiting a second to continue, "So!" He started talking to both the cherryhead and the letterman.

"Sew your mouth shut..." I murmured.

"Are you guys like boyfriend/girlfriend?" He asked in mock desperation towards the duo in the front, wanting to see how far he could go to tip them off. "Steady dates?"

I kept on looking down at my essay, my annoyance with him rising with his continuous blabbermouth. "Do you ever know how to shut up?" I asked quietly. _Also, I love how you think me and the letterman are going at it, and then you're going at it with him and the cherryhead when she tried to calm him down. Pick one, Bender._

Bender paid no attention to me and still kept ragging on the duo in the front. "Lo-vers?" he kept on asking, before he knew what exactly would tip them off to their cores. "Come on, Sporto." he begged to the letterman, "Level with me… Do you slip her the hot… beef… injection?"

The cherryhead and letterman spin around to Bender. "GO TO HELL!/ENOUGH!" they say, respectively. Unfortunately, they yelled just as I was writing, and it caused my grip to derail my pencil, creating a line.

Bender laughed when he got them to snap.

And another thing too, was that Vernon could hear us, from right across his office. "Hey!" I could hear him yelling at us, "What's going on in there?!"

I look at my paper and see the line that I accidentally wrote. I look up and glare at the trio. "Yeah, thanks alot, guys. Really appreciate what you did."

"What did we do?" an incredulous letterman asked me.

I showed them the essay, specifically pointing to the line on the paper with the tip of my eraser. Bender snatches it and examines the error that I've made. He gives it back to me after a few seconds and says, "It's just pencil. You'll manage…"

The cherryhead and letterman glare back at Bender, before turning their heads away from him in anger. "Scumbag…" I hear the letterman mutter under his breath.

As I erased my line, I couldn't help but wonder how much longer I have to stay here before I can finally go home and get away from these asshats. I looked at my wristwatch; the time was 7:18, and I feel like it has been forever since I've first set foot into the library. And there's only less than eight hours and fourty-five minutes left until we could finally get out of here! Shit… And hell is still gonna loom over us, and his name is Bender.


	4. Clubs, Games, and Idiocy

**7:19 a.m. - Shermer High School - Library**

I still kept a sharp eye on my essay, which is the only thing I am focusing on to get out of this prison.

I've only written over eighty words so far, and I'm almost a tenth of the way done. I looked at the scar of my incidental line that I've erased. Even though it was a simple mistake, I still knew that I wouldn't give up. Looking up at everyone else, I knew that none of them even started writing down their essays. Bender, obviously, threw his paper away, the nerd was still deep in thought, the cherryhead and letterman, probably, don't care much about the essay, and I could care less what the mess thinks of this essay, since she hasn't said a word since she came in here.

Suddenly, Bender got up from his chair and turned his focus towards the door. "What do you say we close that door?" he asked us, hopping up onto the railing, "We can't have any kind of party with Vernon checking us out every few seconds…"

"You know, the door's supposed to stay open." the nerd reminded Bender.

Bender could care less than anyone else. "So what?"

The letterman turned his head towards Bender. "So why don't you just shut up! There's five other people, y'know?"

"God, you can count!" Bender kept on taunting, "See, I knew you had to be smart to be a… a wrestler."

"Who the hell are you to judge anybody anyway?" asked the letterman.

"Really…" the cherryhead agreed.

At this point, I had already surpassed a hundred words. One hundred down, nine hundred more to go. Oh boy… this is gonna be a fun one. It'll take me an hour at this point to get this essay done.

"You know Bender, you don't even count." the letterman stated to Bender, harshly, "I mean if you disappeared forever, it wouldn't make any difference. You may as well not even exist in this school…"

When I saw Bender's face, it looked like he was hurt. I mean, I get that Bender is a pain in the ass, but I kept on thinking to myself, _Letterman, dude, don't you think that was a little too much?_. But I couldn't say it. I just kept on looking at my essay. Bender looked at the mess, who looked back at him, glaring at him.

Despite the letterman's harsh truths to Bender, Bender still hid his emotions. He couldn't just let some jocks' harshness get in his way. I mean why would he? He's still a delinquent. "Well…" he responded, "I might as well run right out and join the wrestling team!" The letterman and cherryhead both laughed, doubting Bender's determination. Bender continued, "Maybe the prep club too… Student council."

I stopped writing words for a few seconds, imagining what kinds of chaos Bender would do if he were in the student council. He'd probably start an event for delinquents so that they can shove everyone into lockers. Sweaty ones.

"No, they wouldn't take you." the letterman shook his head.

"I'm hurt."

"You know why guys like you knock everything?" the cherryhead spitefully smiled. I heard Bender murmur about her words being stunning to him before she continued, "Because you're afraid."

Bender kept looking at the cherryhead. "Oh god!" he said, acting like he was offended, "You richies are so smart, that's exactly why I'm not heavy in activities."

"You're a big coward." the cherryhead responded.

"I'm in the math club." said the nerd, trying as hard, only to flunk, at joining conversations. Poor boy. He tries to do everything he can to get himself involved in conversations with the cool kids, only to get neglected like a poor puppy kicked to the curb.

I know I'm not the most sociable guy, but it seems like the nerd needs someone to talk to. Of course, it has to come down to me. I mean, who else? The mysterious mess doesn't look like she wants to contribute to any conversations. So I guess I have to be the one to babysit the nerd. "Really?" I whispered to him, half-heartedly.

The nerd turned towards me, smiled, and nodded, "It's a good club, y'know. We talk about calculus, and, uh… algebra and geometry. There's a lot of puzzles, yeah puzzles, that we do in it. You should join it if you like math."

"I might wanna think about it." I whispered to him, thinking about what it would be like, curious now that he's mentioned these kinds of activities to me. After all, I could use an upgrade for calculus.

The nerd smiled at me. "You should." he said, "It's uh, a very good club." I turn back to look straight down at my paper and keep up on what I was doing. "I'm also in the latin club." I hear the nerd say to me.

"Not interested in _that_..." I say to him without looking up.

"Ahh..." the nerd says.

None of the cool kids (or Bender) took notice to me or the nerd's conversation, not that it was important or anything, since I had to get back to working on my essay.

"See you're afraid that they won't take you. You don't belong so you just have to dump all over it…" said the cherryhead.

Bender looked around a little bit before responding back to the cherryhead in a sort of jerkish tone, "Well, it wouldn't have anything to do with you activities people being _assholes_ now, would it?"

At this point, everyone blabbering and talking was starting to make me lose my focus, and some of the words I thought hard to write down were starting to fade away from my mind. I looked up, annoyed at the cool kids' conversation.

"Well you wouldn't know." the cherryhead responded, "You don't even know any of us."

"Well I don't know any lepers either…" Bender responded, "But I'm not gonna run out and join one of their fuckin' clubs."

"Hey let's watch the mouth, huh?" the letterman warned Bender.

Bender smirked at the duo. "Oh yeah, right." he said, before turning to me. "Wouldn't wanna say the granddaddy of swears in front of _new kid_ in the back."

Being a city kid, I've heard the word 'fuck' a bunch of times. I've heard my old classmates say it, the gritty people in the alleys, hobos on the sidewalks - practically anyone I've seen has said it around me at least 12-18 times a day, maybe even 14-22 times. Some have been beatin' me down and they've said it a lot of times then.

I glared at Bender and tried to say something about hearing that word a lot in the city. Instead, I said, "I'm busy thinking, man. Maybe you should leave me outta this, kay?"

Bender still didn't want to back down from that. "Well we're just talking about what kinds of clubs I could be a fit to be in. Like which club would _you_ want to be in? The wrestling club, or the prep club."

"I don't know!" I groaned, exasperated, "I haven't been here to learn about this kinds of crap enough for me to even have an interest! Maybe I don't want to be in either of those fuckin' clubs at all!" I look down, trying to focus a little bit on my test.

"He said to me he's, uh, interested in the math club, y'know?" the nerd told the cool kids, who all ignored him.

"Wow…" Bender said, sarcastically smiling, "You might've hurt these two's feelings." He points to the cherryhead and letterman, who both look at me, shocked.

The cherryhead turned to Bender. "He's probably having a rough day, yesterday _was _his first day here. And he _did_ get detention for... whatever he did that got him here." she said, concerned about me, which was baffling because she sounded preppy and mock-perky when Vernon was instructing detention.

"Verbal assault!" Bender reminded her. The cherryhead rolled her eyes.

"We should just leave him be for a little while." the letterman suggested.

Bender turned back to the duo. "Oh yeah?" Bender asked, not caring about me nor both of them, or anyone at all.

"He also grew up in the city." the cherryhead added, "He doesn't look accustomed to being… y'know, here, yet…"

I kept on ignoring what they were saying about me. I knew that if I would get involved, I would end up making things even more worse than what they already are.

Bender looked back at me for a few seconds, as I was trying not to get involved more in these types of shenanigans. Bender chuckled a bit, then turned back to the duo. "Y'know, I kinda find it funny how _you_, Sporto," he says as he points to the letterman, "Have a problem with me saying fuck, but you don't have a problem if he," he points to me, "Says it."

"Look, I don't want anybody to say it, alright?" said the letterman, annoyed with everyone, "Can we all just end it already?"

The two beef boys stared at each other for a few seconds, until the letterman looked back down towards his blank sheet of paper, hoping to not get involved more with Bender anymore.

A few more seconds of silence lingered throughout the library. It wasn't long until the nerd said something to the cool kids (again), "Um, I'm in the physics club too."

"What are you babbling about?" a careless Bender asked the nerd, finally giving the nerd attention that he has been trying to get for the last minute.

"Well, what I said was… I'm in the math club, uh… the latin club, and the physics club- physics club." the nerd said, enthusiastic as ever to give them any sort of interest, "And like I said to Tim, back there, uh, was that we do stuff like algebra and calculus in the math club, and other cool activities in those types of subjects."

"What other clubs did you say you were in again?" Bender asked the nerd, disregarding the facts about the math club.

"Uh… the latin club, and the physics club. Are you interested too?"

Bender had another smirk on his face. He looked at the cherryhead and leaned down towards her. "Hey, Cherry." he said to her, gaining her attention, "Do _you_ belong to the physics club?"

_I doubt it. She's to pretty and preppy to be a member._ I thought, still writing down words on my essay (One-hundred and twenty-eight words down, yay…, not that anyone gives a shit, because I certainly know that nobody would want to even).

"That's an academic club." said the cherryhead.

"So?"

"So academic clubs aren't the same as other kinds of clubs." she argued.

_Wow, she's even more preppy and entitled than I thought she'd be._ I thought, disgusted with her argument on how 'academic clubs aren't the same as other clubs'.

"Ah," he argued back, "But to dorks like him," he pointed to the nerd, "They are!" The cherryhead rolled her eyes again like they shot back into her head and ignored him. Bender turned to the nerd, "What do you guys do in your club?" he asked him.

The nerd tried to think of what he should say. Now that he's a part of the conversation, he has to think of a response to what he does in the physics club, which can't be that difficult, right?

"In physics…" he started, "Well, we-we, uh… we talk about physics."

_Good grief, he's babbling… _I thought. Between hearing his babbling and the cool kids' ongoing and annoying conversation, I couldn't concentrate much on my essay.

"Uh, properties of physics." he added to be specific.

"So it's sort of social." he told the cherryhead, "Demented and _sad_, but social, right?" This made the cherryhead roll her eyes in disbelief yet again.

The nerd kept on talking, "Yeah, well, I guess you could consider it a social situation." And when I meant talking, I meant talking while also babbling, "Um, I mean there are other children i-in my club. And um… a-at the end of the year, um, we have, um, you know, a big banquet, at the, uh… at the Hilton."

I sighed heavily, having to hear this kid babble like he doesn't know how to talk coherently.

Bender, surprisingly, seemed impressed with the nerd, "You load up. You party?"

"Well, no, we get dressed up." the nerd responded, "I mean, but uh, we don't, uh… we don't get high."

I saw the mess having her pen in her mouth, paying attention to the conversation. I couldn't tell if she was interested or just wanted everyone to shut up. I was feeling the latter. I was trying to focus on my essay, but having to listen to this conversation that was going on in front of me just made it even worse. If I walked away from my table and further through the library, Vernon might walk in here at any second and bark at me to get back in my seat. He already told us not to move from these seats, so what can I do?

"Only burners like you get high." said the cherryhead, referring to Bender, how he would get high at any time.

"And, uh, I didn't have any shoes, so I borrowed my dad's. It was kinda weird 'cause my mom doesn't like me to wear other people's shoes." The nerd kept on babbling about his banquets, "And, uh, my cousin Kent, er, um… my cousin Kendall, from um, Indiana…," While he talked, the mysterious mess crunched her pen and pointed at either Bender, the cherryhead, or the letterman, "He got high and once and, you know, he started eating like really weird foods. And, uh, and then he just like he didn't belong anywhere. You know, kinda like, you know, Twilight Zone kinda…"

The cherryhead giggled at Bender. "Sounds like you…"

I have had it with everyone talking and not even having at least a minute to be quiet so that I could focus and get this damn essay done with. So I had to do something. "Hey everyone." The others turned to look at me. "I have a great game we could play, ya know? It's called the _Quiet_ Game. Whoever keeps on being quiet the longest wins, starting_ now_!"

Everyone looked at me either confused, or they didn't care about my little attempt to shut them up. Nevertheless, they all stopped talking.

_YES!_ I thought happily, _I finally got some peace and quiet so that I can finish this essay and never have to deal with the stress of not being able to finish it!_

And you know? It actually worked. None of them objected to me nor did they tell me to screw the rules. It felt like they actually listened to me. I've heard stories in which students never listen to the new kid in class because they haven't gotten to know them much, nor has the kid earned their trust for them to listen whatsoever. But I guess here, when I told them that we should play 'the Quiet Game' 'starting now', in which everyone has to be quiet for probably a _long_ time, they actually listened! Even Bender, frickin' Bender of all people, remained quiet! And I for one am impressed! I felt like I manipulated these suckers to do what I want them to do. I feel like I should do this more often. I felt so happy, I wrote down a small part in which it said that I silenced everyone, thinking I would call myself either a natural born leader or a person with 'mystical powers'. And it was all peace and quiet here…

"So what's the prize if one of us wins?" asked Bender.

_Shit! _For a whole TWENTY SECONDS!

"Oh, uh, you just lost." the nerd informed him.

Bender looked at the nerd, pointing at him. "Speak for yourself." he said, smugly.

"Oh… whoops!" the nerd laughed, embarrassed, "I guess it just slipped out. Uh, you know how it, err… is when people remind people, right?"

Bender smirked, "I think we're all aware of that."

I glared at Bender for ruining what would have been maybe the rest of detention of peace and quiet. Totally sucks... _Back to where it was before I made the Quiet Game…_

Fifteen seconds went by...

"Hey Tim!" Bender called to me, "You're little game is working so far, so good! Nobody else has talked yet."

The nerd raised his hand again. "Except you and I." he reminded.

Bender turned his head towards him. "Ya don't have to remind me..." he said, annoyed. "Also, quit raising your hand every time you have something to say. This ain't somebody's wedding!" Even though Bender and the nerd lost the Quiet Game, to Bender, it felt like it was still going on.

"Look, you guys keep your talking," the letterman informed us all, "And Vernon's gonna come right in here."

Bender shot down towards the letterman. "You talked, Sporto!" he told him.

"Really?" The letterman asked in disbelief, "Who gives a shit about that game?"

"Apparently Tim!" Bender pointed to me, before he turned his head towards mine, "Don't ya Tim?"

I said nothing. I still looked down at my essay, trying to play along with my own game.

"Oh that's right!" he kept on saying, "You're still in the game, and you can't make a peep!"

The letterman paid no attention to me and continued talking to Bender, "Anyways, I got a meet this Saturday and I'm _not_ gonna miss it on account on you boneheads."

"Oh and wouldn't that bite?" Bender asked, feigning agony, faking a bitter moan, "Missing a whole wrestling meet!"

The letterman, offended, went on the defensive, "Well you wouldn't know anything about it, faggot!" he barked, "You never competed in your whole life!"

Bender pretended to have his feelings hurt. "Oh I know…" he said, "I feel all empty inside because of it. I have such a deep admiration for guys that roll around on the floor with other guys.

The letterman rolled his eyes, doubting Bender. "Ahh, you'd never miss it." he said to him, "You don't have any goals."

"Oh, but I do!" Bender objected.

"Yeah?"

"I wanna be just - like - you!" Bender said, smirking, pointing at the letterman, "I figure all I need's a lobotomy and some tights!"

The letterman looked at Bender, confused. At the same time, though, he knew that he would want to have a lobotomy, since he, along with everyone else in this library, including me, knows that Bender is over the top crazy. We could see how severely damaged his brain is and then take it to a school psychiatrist… if there was one here. And after that, if he's really crazy, we can escort him to solitary confinement.

"You wear tights?" the nerd asked the letterman, wanting to be a part of the conversation yet again.

I hid a smirk, thinking that the letterman wearing tights felt humorous. I'd definitely want to see him wearing them. Across from me, the mess smiled. I could guess that she was thinking the same thing.

The letterman turned to the nerd. "No I don't wear tights," he said with a glare, "I wear the required uniform!"

"Tights…" the nerd reminded him.

"Shut up!" the letterman shouted, turning his back against him.

Bender looked around, then he looked back at the duo. "Well… I can see that while we're still playing," he looked at me, with a smug grin, "The _Quiet_ Game…" he said with a mocking tone, before turning back to the duo again, "I can see that there are _two _people who haven't talked."

The cherryhead turned around and saw me and the mess, the latter looked at her. "No, it's _three_ of us." she said to Bender.

"No, actually, two people left." said Bender, "_Was_ three…" he beckoned his head to her.

Realizing that she talked, the cherryhead rolled her eyes. She realized that Bender was making a big deal out of the game, and was baiting her to talk. "Well don't _you_ like a little game." she said.

"Do you have something else in mind?" asked Bender.

"No…"

"We could play CPR..." said Bender, "I can be the paramedic, and you can be the doll."

The cherryhead shoved her hand towards the big bully, as if she were to try and tell him to leave her alone. "Go away, please..." she murmured.

"Well technically, she'd push to issue a restraining order against you, since that would be considered unnecessary of you to touch her and-" the nerd tried to say to him.

Bender cut him off, "On second thought, who wants to play a game called Punching Bag?" he asked, "We could use _you_ as a literal punching bag, if you want to play!"

As they kept blabbering to each other on what 'game' to play next, I kept on writing my essay. But then I start to notice the mess staring at me. She had a smirk on her face. I didn't know what or how to respond to it. I remembered that I was still 'playing' the 'Quiet Game' with her. She started making kiss gestures and bouncing her eyebrows. At that moment, I started to feel uncomfortable. When I looked back at her, she stuck her tongue out and made clever tongue movements towards me.

_Is she one of those girls who has a creepy crush on me?_ I thought to myself, weirded out, _If she is, then I'm totally better off being stuffed in a locker. At least I'll be away from her. _

I turned around again, trying to ignore her. If I even tried to look back at her gestures, I would barf myself out. All I know is that I have a little more less than nine hours until I'm a free bird.


	5. A War Comes to Play

**7:25 a.m. - Shermer High School - Library**

As I kept on writing my essay (almost two-hundred words written down), I looked over for a split second at the entrance of the library, looked back at my essay, before looking back towards the entrance to see Vernon walk in his office from across the hall.

Bender jumped in between the cherryhead and letterman, trying not to get caught. A couple seconds passed and Vernon walked out. Once Vernon was out of his office and out of earshot or eyesight, Bender chuckled, knowing that he has to seize the opportunity to go up to the door and shut it, and then 'start a party'.

"You know," the nerd tried to intervene, "There's not supposed to be any monkey business…"

Bender turned back to the nerd, pointing while walking backwards, "Young man, have you finished your paper?!" he asked, mocking Vernon's stern voice. Once he reached the entrance, he looked around for something. Then he started doing something on the hinges on the door.

"What are you gonna do?" called the cherryhead.

"Drop dead, I hope!" the letterman murmured.

Bender kept on messing with the door hinges, getting all of our attentions. Even I looked up from my essay to see what was going on.

"Okay, now all we need is a rope to tie both door handles so that Vernon won't be able to get in." I said, sarcastically.

The letterman turned around to me. "Don't encourage Bender!" he warned me.

"It's called sarcasm, dude." I retorted.

"Not to _him_!" he whisper-yelled.

I heard a slow gasp from across from me. I looked to see a smiling mess gnawing on her right hand balled up in a fist, pointing towards me. Then I remembered that I talked. Because of that, I thwacked my head on the table in defeat.

"Fuck..." I say to myself in defeat.

The letterman turned around, hearing my head bang on the table. He quickly remembered that I talked. "You forgot the Quiet Game, didn't you?" he questioned.

I look up, nodding to him.

The cherryhead turned around to me as well. "It didn't really matter." she said, "He would've made us all talk anyways."

Shrugging, I look to my left again, eyeing the mess' smug smile. She stuck her tongue out at me as a way of saying that she beat me.

Meanwhile, Bender was still working on fixing the door. We all turned to see him, wondering if he'll get caught, or if he'll do it.

"Bender," the nerd tried to say, "That's, that's school property there… You know, it doesn't belong to us. It's something not to be toyed with.

He unhinged one of the screws that held the door open, leaving the door to shut by itself. I saw that he had a screw in his hand, and he put it inside his jacket pocket. He ran back to his seat if ever the case Vernon would waltz in and demand why the door was shut.

"That's very funny." remarked a sarcastic letterman as Bender sat down, "C'mon, fix it!"

"You should really fix it." said the nerd, pointing to the door.

We all started getting worried. I knew that if Vernon noticed it shut, he'd barge in, demanding what happened. Better, or worse, yet, he'd blame all of us and would give us another Saturday detention for next week. That would not go well on my records, considering I'm still new to this junkfest.

"Dude, this is serious." I told Bender, "He's gonna kill us if he-"

"AHA! You talked!" Bender spun around, interrupting me, "You lose, new kid!"

I roll my eyes, annoyed, "That's not important, man! We have do something before Vernon comes in and lynches us!"

"Oh what?" Bender asks us all, smugly, "Am I a genius?"

"No, you're an asshole!" growled the letterman.

Bender turned to the letterman, defiant and smug as always. "What a funny guy!" he said to him in a mocking tone.

"Fix the door Bender!" the letterman shouted.

"Everyone, just shhh!" Bender tried to quiet everyone down, "Look, I've been in here before, I know what I'm doing!"

"No!" the letterman yelled, "You don't! Get up there and fix that door!"

Bender tried to interrupt the letterman in order to shut him up, but all he could say was, "SHUT UP!"

This quieted everyone. However…

"God dammit!" we could hear Vernon outside, yelling in disbelief. Bender and the letterman glared at each other, ready to point fingers at whose fault it was for getting them all caught.

Vernon whisked open the door, ready for blood. He stormed towards us, looking like he's ready to rip one or all of us a new one. He pointed towards the entrance. "Why is that door closed?!" he asked us all. All of us remained quiet, staring at Vernon. Once Vernon stopped in front of the tables, he repeated his question, "WHY is that door closed?!"

We all kept quiet. We didn't want to rat anybody out, as it would mean giving some people (talking about you, Bender) another Saturday.

"How are we supposed to know?" asked Bender, defiant as always, "We're not supposed to move, right?"

Vernon knew that Bender was lying. Of course, he didn't want the words from his mouth. He looked at the cherryhead. "Why?!" he asked her.

I knew the cherryhead didn't want to rat Bender out or anything. "We're just sitting here." she said, "Like we're supposed to."

Vernon still didn't believe us. He was still out for blood, ready to suck it like a vampire, until it has all been drained. Looking around, he strutted towards the center row where Bender and the nerd sat at, specifically looking at the nerd. "Who closed that door?!" he demanded him to answer.

He was about to answer, but he was interrupted by Bender, "I think a screw fell out of it…" While Bender was correct about a missing screw, we all knew he still had it in his pocket.

"It just closed, sir." the letterman reluctantly lied along with him.

Vernon turned towards me, still hungry. "_Who_ closed that door?!" he demanded me an answer.

I breath a sigh of annoyance, folded my arms, and roll my eyes. "If I knew who closed it, I wouldn't have looked up from my essay." I held up my paper for Vernon to look as proof, leaving the man baffled, but still doubting my answer.

"He's not much of a joiner." said Bender.

I gave a dirty, mocking look towards Bender. _I hope he takes you out of the library and far away from us as possible!_

Vernon turned to the mess for an answer from her mouth. "Who?!" he demanded.

The mess gasped, then thwacked her head on her table, squeaking as her hoodie on her jacket covered her head from Vernon.

"She doesn't talk, sir." Bender told him. The mess squeaked again from underneath her hoodie. Up ahead, I saw the cherryhead and letterman look at each other, confused on why the mess is even here in the first place.

Vernon glared at Bender, knowing that he has that missing screw. "I know it's you, Bender." he said.

"I don't have it." said Bender.

"Give me that screw right now…"

"I don't have it." Bender told Vernon, shaking his head, "Screws fall out all the time. The world's an imperfect place…"

"You want me to yank you out of that seat and shake it out of you?!" Vernon threatened. From my eyes, I could tell that Vernon was about to do just that. For a man named Richard Vernon, he had his intentions on getting the truth.

"Excuse me sir," the cherryhead tried to derail the tension, "Why would anybody want to steal a screw?"

Vernon turned towards her. "Watch it, young lady!" he said, pointing to her to stay out of the situation.

As Vernon left to the entrance, I could see Bender and the cherryhead stare at each other, not knowing what else to do, and the mess uncover her jacket hoodie, looking up at what's going on.

Vernon exited the library and tried to keep the door open. However, since there was no screw in the middle hinge to hold the door, it started to shut.

"The door's way too heavy sir!" Bender tried to say to Vernon.

Vernon saw a folding chair nearby the door, grabbed it, and pulled it towards the door to keep it open. He shoved it towards the door and tried to place it in front of it in order to keep it from shutting. It was no use.

"Dammit!" he cried from the other side. He said a couple other words after that, but I couldn't make out what he said. At that point, all of us either smiled or stifled laughter.

That still didn't stop him. Vernon shoved the door open and stands in front. He pointed to the letterman. "Andrew Clark!" he called to him, snapping his fingers to have him help him, "Get up here…" The letterman, whose name I now know is Andrew, hopped out of his seat and walked towards Vernon. "Come on, front and center, let's go!" Vernon beckoned him over.

As soon as Andrew got over to the entrance, Vernon pointed him to a steel magazine rack, and push it in front of the door to keep it open.

Bender, though, felt like making more mischief. "Hey, how come _Andrew_ gets to get up?!" he called over to Vernon. Vernon ignored him as he and Andrew picked up the rack. "If _he_ gets up, we'll _all_ get up!" Bender kept on stating his point, "It'll be anarchy!"

We all looked at Bender, hoping that he shut up. Vernon and Andrew opened the door and tried placing the rack in front of it, as Vernon kept on telling Andrew to watch the magazines from falling out.

"It's out of my hands." said Bender.

We keep on seeing them trying (and failing) to keep the door open. The rack that they have placed in front of the door is blocking the entrance. I could see everyone smirking at their futile attempts. Andrew struggled to get back inside, as he had to step over the rack. Vernon, who was in the interior of the library, helped him get over it, but a few magazines fell out of the rack. It wasn't long until Vernon realized that it was no use.

"That's very clever, sir." said Bender, "But what if there's a fire? I think violating fire codes and endangering the lives of children would be unwise at this junction in your career, sir."

Vernon glared at Bender, realizing that he's right, but not wanting to admit it. He turns to Andrew, who was trying to push the rack back inside. "Alright, what are you doing with this?" he asked him, "What are you doing? Get this outta here for God's sake! What's the matter with you? Come on!"

Vernon pushed the rack outside, and opened the door _next_ to Andrew, beckoning him to get inside.

"Well, you know, the school comes equipped with fire exits at either end of the library." the nerd told Bender, trying to prove a point.

Bender turned at the nerd and glared at him. "Show Dick some respect!" he fired back.

"Let's go!" Vernon told Andrew, pushing him back to his seat, "Get back into your seat!" Andrew sat back in his chair, ashamed, humiliated. "I expected a little more from a varsity letterman." Vernon criticized, making the letterman feel even more shittier.

_Harsh, man… _I thought, glaring at Vernon.

But I said something at last... "You could've used the other door..." I test him, "I think that's on you, not Andrew."

Vernon glared at me. "Watch your mouth, young man!" he pointed at me, "Would you like to spend another Saturday with Mr. Bender?"

I said nothing else. I knew if I said something again, I would totally receive another Saturday. And worse, it'd be with Bender... _Ugh..._

"Hey look at that, Sporto!" Bender pointed out, "He defended you! Looks like you two _are_ a perfect match!"

"Yeah right..." said Andrew, not even turning back to say it to the burnout.

Vernon ignored their little tiff and laid his eyes onto Bender, having his hands on his hips. "You're not fooling anybody, Bender." he told him, "The next screw that falls out, it's gonna be _you_."

Just as Vernon was about to turn to leave, Bender felt like he was ready to fight fire with even more fire. "Eat my shorts…" he murmured quietly.

Vernon spun around and walked towards his table. "What was that?" he asked Bender.

_Whoops! Looks like you weren't quiet enough, man! _I thought, when everyone turned to him after hearing what he had just said.

Bender turned towards Vernon as soon as the vice principal confronted him at his table. They glared at each other, and this was a type of showdown that could go on for ages! Think! A delinquent who constantly screws himself up and goes deep lengths to defy the rules… and possibly the law, versus a John Wayne wannabe as a strict head of the school, wearing a dated funeral suit.

Bender, still defiant and ready to be the ass of Vernon, repeated his words, in a louder tone, "Eat. My. Shorts!"

Immediately, we all saw this as a big mistake for Bender. It felt like he was signing his own death warrant to Vernon, and Vernon knew exactly what to do to him. "You just bought yourself another Saturday, mister." he said, pointing to Bender.

"Aww, crushed…" Bender grumbled, rolling his eyes.

"You just bought one more right there!" Vernon pointed out to him.

Bender, still having firepower, wanted to go deep into Vernon. "Well, I'm free the Saturday after _that_!" he fired back, "Beyond that, I'm gonna need my calendar!"

"GOOD!" said Vernon, "Because it's gonna be _filled_!"

I put my hands on my forehead, ready to endure the shit known as Bender vs. Vernon. And it looks like Vernon is winning. "I don't see this ending anytime soon…" I murmured to myself.

"We'll keep going!" Vernon told Bender, as he laid back into his chair, preparing to give Vernon even more than what he's gonna bargain for. "You want another one?" Vernon taunted him.

Bender started laying down his options. On one hand, he was thinking about trying to be tough in front of Vernon. On the other, he was thinking of something that made him think against it.

Vernon, vivaciously, waited for his reply. "Say the word, just say the word!" he kept on telling Bender, "Instead of going to prison, you'll come _here_!" he pointed to the grounds of the library.

Bender kept on thinking. Then he rolled his eyes towards Vernon, folding his arms. We all saw that he had made up his mind.

"Are you through?" Vernon asked him.

"No." Bender replied.

_God dammit, Bender!_ I thought, miffed at him for not trying to stand down. _You already have yourself two more detentions on top of your other one that'll be next Saturday._

"I'm doing society a favor!" Vernon argued with him.

"So?!"

"That's another one right now!" Vernon pointed out again.

_Three…_

"I've got you for the rest of your natural born life if you don't watch your step!" he shouted at Bender, "You want another one?!"

Bender glared at Vernon for a second. "Yes!" he responded.

"YOU GOT IT!" yelled Vernon, "You got another one right there! That's another one, pal!"

_Jesus Christ, Bender… Are you even listening to yourself right now?!_

"Cut it out!" the cherryhead cried to the delinquent, her voice-cracking. Bender turned towards her, where she mouthed to him 'Stop!'. But he nodded his head, not wanting to back down even in the slightest.

If she wouldn't stop him, then maybe I should. "Seriously, dude." I told him. He turned towards me. "You hafta stop digging a bigger hole."

"Butt out of this!" Vernon warned both me and the cherryhead. He turned back to Bender, "Ya through?!"

Bender whipped his head back towards Vernon, still glaring at the vice principal, "Not. Even. Close, BUD!" he growled.

Both the cherryhead and I looked at each other, disgusted with Bender and his gutsy attitude.

"Good!" Vernon said to him, "You got one more right there!"

Bender shook his head towards Vernon. "Do you really think I give a shit?" he questioned the vice principal.

"Another!"

"Sue me." Bender kept on adding the gas to the blaze.

"Another!"

Bender and Vernon glared at each other for an even five seconds. Both of them are waiting for the other to respond. Even then, we all knew that Bender would still get another Saturday.

"You through?" Vernon asked him.

"How many is that?" Bender asked him back.

The nerd raised his hand. "That's eight, including the one when we first came in and you asked Mr. Vernon here, whether Barry Manilow knew that he raided his closet." he told Bender.

"Now it's _nine_!" Vernon announced, before turning to the nerd, "_You_ stay out of it too!"

"Excuse me sir, it's eight!" the nerd tried to argue to Vernon.

"Shut up, peewee!" Vernon ordered him. With the nerd shut up, he turned back to Bender, holding a hand sign, representing the horns.

_Dude, it's what happens when you mess with the bulls._ I thought, still glaring at Bender, _You get the horns_. Even though I hate Vernon, I still think that Bender was ballsy enough to defy the man. You either have to respect the man, or you get tons of shit from him.

"You're mine, Bender." he told him, walking back to the front of the tables, "For two months I gotcha! I gotcha..."

Bender, who glared at Vernon like a wolf, didn't care if he got detention until early June. "What can I say?" he asked, in a careless tone, "I'm _thrilled_!"

Vernon shook his head. "Oh, I'm sure that's _exactly_ what you want these people to believe. You know something, Bender? You ought to spend a little more time trying to do something with yourself, and a little _less_ time trying to impress people. You might be better off." Bender nodded, still not caring about what Vernon's trying to tell him. "As I think everyone else should be better off, _without_ you! Besides, with _Tim_, in the back," he gestured to me, as I looked up at him with utter silence, "I feel as if you're giving him an example on how _not_ to behave in Shermer. We wouldn't want another _Bender_ in this school, would we?" Nobody said anything. "Not even several other Benders?" he referred to the other four students, who just kept their mouths shut. None of us said anything at all. If we said anything to Vernon, it would feel like signing our own death warrants. We just sat there, quietly. "Yeah… just as I expected." He points to the left side of the tables, moving his finger towards the right, "They're all better off without you, without a doubt." He focuses his attention towards everyone this time. Bender glared at Vernon, but then started to feel a little upset with himself. I think the man just hit Bender's emotional spot. "Alright, that's it! I'm gonna be right outside those doors!" He points to said doors. "The next time I have to come in here, I'm crackin' skulls!"

I saw Bender mouth 'I'm crackin' skulls', as a way to mock Vernon, as he struts out of the library. We all stared at the man, trying _not_ to get in the way of his pointy horns, as it would mean trouble for us. As he opened the door, he looked back at all of us, holding up the horns sign again, ready to punish someone and anyone, maybe even everyone. He turned back and walked out of the library, with the door shutting behind him.

Whatever anger that Bender bottled up during his confrontation against Vernon was uncapped. We could all hear him roar to the entrance, "_**FUCK YOU!**_"

But Vernon didn't come back. We could all hear faint footsteps of him walking back to his office. It was that moment that all of us looked at Bender, giving him faces of 'What the fuck were you thinking, man?'. But I could see that Bender was looking blue. He looked down at himself on his table, ignoring our looks pointing towards him. "Fuck…" I could hear him whisper to himself.

_Is he really fucked up with everyone, including the students?_ I thought to myself, _How bad is he really? Does he know that everyone hates him_. But I did not want to know what the answers were. Between Vernon punishing him, and Andrew and the cherryhead's harsh truths about him, I feel like Bender's life is fucked up, and not just him being crazy. For now, I looked down at my essay, where I still have almost two-hundred words completed, ready to refocus.


	6. Potty Break

**7:45 a.m. - Shermer High School - Library**

Less than fifteen minutes after the Battle of Shermer Library between Bender and Vernon, where Vernon emerged victoriously, all of the chaos that happened in a matter of the first half hour of detention seemed to have died down. We stopped butting heads and raging war against each other as we started doing our own things.

I was still working on my essay. I have three-hundred and twenty-something words written down, and I don't feel like I'm stopping for now!

As I kept on writing, I saw Bender, ahead of me, with a cigarette in his mouth, lighting the tip of his shoe on fire. As soon as he got it on fire, he shook the match that he used to put his tip on fire until the flame went out. Then he placed his cigarette onto the tip of his shoe to light it up, and smoked it.

I flinched at the sight of him lighting his shoe on fire. _Doesn't he know that it'll hurt? Doesn't he know that he'll probably burn himself, or set off the fire alarms?_ But I looked away from it, not wanting to dwell into it.

I saw the cherryhead having her right hand on her forehead, thinking of what to do with everyone, either that or get started on her own essay. She wore some silly little grin on her face. At some points, I was hearing her making some seductive giggles. I feel like she's in a fantasy sequence where she's getting _laid_.

Then I saw the nerd shifting back and forth in his seat. _I wonder what he's up to… _I thought, looking underneath his table. Under his table were big pieces of gum. But what really caught my attention was the nerd squeezing his ballsacks, making me wince. But what do I care? It's _him_ doing it, not me. Then I saw him put one of his gloves down to cover his ballsacks.

Up ahead, I saw Andrew playing with his jacket, dragging his knot back and forth from either end of the side.

Then I saw Bender putting the flames out off his tip. Good thing too, since it might've caused the fire alarms to go off. I thought that Vernon would walk back in, and once he saw the flames on Bender's tip, that he would either extinguish the flames, or would expel Bender. Probably the latter, because knowing Vernon, he's always ready to kick any screw-up or punk to the curb.

I saw the mess find a long string. Judging by her face, she may be collecting these strings for her little 'string collection'. Boy was I wrong. She used the string on her index finger and started wrapping it on her finger, turning it purple.

As I kept on writing, my glasses were getting dirty from all the particles floating around the library (Forgot to tell you I also wore glasses. Whoops...). I breathed out onto them, making them foggy, and cleaning them with my shirt. After that, I continued to write.

Bender was smoking his cigarette and playing air guitar. I wondered if he would be a great guitarist or something.

I saw the mess drawing a really magnificent picture of a covered bridge, coloring the river underneath. From what I could tell, I thought she was a professional artist. I smiled at her, though she didn't see it.

I saw Andrew fold his essay paper into what looked like a paper football. He flicked the paper football and sent it flying off his table. He cheered silently, as if he had gotten a field goal.

Then I saw the mess shake her hair onto her picture. I could tell that she was trying to get the dandruff out of her head. Turns out she was using the dandruff as if it were snow. Now the picture takes place in the wintertime. The mess smiled at what she had done. _Good for her._ I thought.

Eventually, I reached five hundred words on my essay (halfway there, woohoo!). It was around 8:15 or so, and I saw that everyone was getting settled in.

I saw Bender stretch his head back and put his hands on them. He looked up at the ceiling and closed his eyes. Then I looked at the nerd, who was holding his pencil in his hand, start to blink. It wasn't long until he blacked out, dropping his pencil.

The other three - the mess, cherryhead, and Andrew - started to feel drowsy as well. Not me though, I kept on writing down words on my essay. However, as I kept on writing, my focus started to press on the brakes. I was starting to feel drowsy as well.

I looked up again, and saw Andrew and the mess lower their heads onto their tables, starting to close their eyes. It was just me and the cherryhead… who lowered her head ten seconds later and her eyes closed too.

I kept on feeling the urge to sleep. Since I didn't get a good night sleep last night, and because everyone else was asleep, I could either go to sleep like everyone else or I could stay up like I drank a gallon of coffee and suffer through insomnia. I stared at my essay and started to think…

_No… No, I can't think properly. _I told myself in thought, _I need an hour or two of rest…_

I set my essay aside and I pulled the two chairs to my left, using them as a little bed for me to lie down. I also took my glasses off and set them near my paper. Then I collapsed onto my chair-bed and put my legs into fetal position. As much as it felt uncomfortable to lie on top of three chairs, I had to get an hour or so of more sleep, since I woke up at 6:00 and had to be here an hour later. Before I started to rest, I used my hands as pillow for my head to rest on. And then… I blacked out.

* * *

**Unknown time - Unknown area**

_Oh god… Where am I?_ I asked myself.

I find myself in the middle of nowhere, or a white aura background.

_Am I really dreaming that fast? _I thought to myself again.

I look around my surroundings and I see that there is a doorway with small blinking arrows pointing to it. I put my hands on my hips, doubting that it would be a 'Happily Ever After'. In several dreams I had, in which they had arrows pointing to a doorway, it ended up with me falling in midair, forcing me to wake up from my dreams.

Thinking that this was a trap, I turned the _other_ way and started walking.

**BAM!**

I get hit by an invisible force. I look around, trying to reach my hand out where it hit me. Nothing. I walked again, and I get hit again.

_Is it really trying to force me to fall mid-flight again?_ I asked myself.

I stared at the doorway, skeptical, wondering if this is actually a trap. I knew that if I turned back again, I'd be hit by the same invisible force that kept on hitting me repeatedly. On the other hand, what is there really at the doorway?

Having no choice, I walked to the doorway. And just so I could be prepared in case it's that same pitfall that sends me down a bottomless journey, I stop myself for a few seconds, and look up and down at the other side of the door. When it looked like the same white aura background as I was standing in, probably the same room I was in, I sigh to myself and walk through the doorway. Suddenly, a blinding flash hits me.

* * *

Fifteen seconds have passed, and the flash dies down, revealing it to be my bedroom at my mom's house.

_No way!_ I thought in disbelief, _I'm back home?_

I had just exited my closet door. I started to explore my bedroom, the walls painted sky blue and the floor carpeted beige. I look outside my window through the curtains that really darken my room. To my left, I could see Wrigley Field in a distant (somehow on the outskirts of Shermer!), and a couple of famous Cubs players lounging in a backyard pool. When they looked up to see me, they waved at me, giving off friendly smiles. I waved back to them, smiling. To my right, I could see two cats, one black and one tan, lying on top of a tree, sleeping, licking each others' fur. I looked at them, finding those cats to be cute with each other.

I back away from the window, and I go to my bed. Lying on it, I could see pictures of me with my mom and dad. One picture that caught my eye was the two of them, as well as a three-year old me, at Wrigley Field. I held a baseball in my glove. I was on top of my dad, and his left hand was on my mom's arm. A tear trickled from my eye. Even though I was too young, and they left each other a year before that picture was taken, I reminisced that none of them would give up on leaving their children behind to the other. Because of that, they shared custody of me and my sister, who was not present in that picture, and remained friends.

Suddenly, I heard some adults from downstairs yell, "Timmy!" / "Tim!".

Leaping up from my bed, I strided out of my room. I looked around the hallway, passing a couple different rooms. I walked down the stairs, where I saw a giant picture of a sailboat along Lake Michigan, painted by my step-dad's father, or my artist step-grandfather. I admired the vibrant waves that the sailboat navigated through, as well as the glow of the sunset skies in the painting's background.

I headed down the rest of the stairs to face my mom, dad, sister, and step-dad, all of whom had smiles on their faces. "What's going on, guys?" I asked them.

"Now's your moment!" said my dad, "It's time for you to get your award."

"What award?" I asked. I have never signed up for an award, let alone heard about one. I still wondered what it was all about. "What did I win?"

"The award for the best essay written!" said my mom, "Your essay that you've wrote in detention touched everyone's hearts. It even touched Mr. Vernon's heart too!"

That got my excited. I have always been enthusiastic of English and writing. I've always wanted to be a poet, or a writer, or a journalist. I guess with my essay, supposedly, passed on and told that it is award-worthy, I thought to myself that everyone who has read it thought that I've written a masterful essay.

My step-dad opened the front door, and I could instantly hear the entire town of Shermer scream with joy. Surprised, I run out to the front yard, happily touching hands with people whose hands reached out to touch mine. A bunch of people give me handshakes and hugged me along the way. I hurried to where the crowd was beckoning me to go to.

Eventually, I reached a giant podium in front of Shermer High's football field. I am greeted by Mr. Vernon, who is, apparently, in a more positive mood than he normally is. How could I tell? Well, for starters, he shook my hand, something that I'd never thought he'd do to a student!

"It is wonderful seeing you here, Mr. Camm!" he told me, "The essay that you have written is true, and you weren't kidding when you wanted to start a new life here at Shermer. I apologize if I was harsh to you in the beginning. Sometimes I have a lot of expectations for these students, y'know?"

I laughed along with him. "No worries, Mr. Vernon. I appreciate it."

"Because of your magnificent essay that you have worked hard to write down, I hereby present you, the 'Edward Shermson Award', presented to young and aspiring writers like you!" He gave me a certificate that said, 'Edward Shermson Award presented to **Timothy Camm**, for writing an essay that inspired students in need of looking for a new life transferring to a new school! Well Done!'. I saw on the lower right side: Mr. Vernon's signature.

Mr. Vernon and I look at each other, happily. I turn to the audience, who was cheering for me getting presented the 'Edward Shermson Award'. I hold up my certificate, and everyone starts squealing with joy. I look around, and I see tons and tons of Shermer students and faculty members, and a whole lot of townspeople cheering my name. No sign of the five stranger students from detention though. Not that it mattered, since I didn't really associate with them much to actually become my friends. I wave to the crowd, ready to embrace all the positivity from everyone else.

Suddenly, Vernon pulls me by my shoulders, spins me around and yells to me, "WAKE UP!"

* * *

**9:15 a.m. - Shermer High School - Library**

I had my eyes shut, but I could tell that I was still lying on my three-chair bed. It was that moment that it was all just a dream. I wish I slept through a little more, then I could wake up in the afternoon, finish the rest of my essay, and just be done with everything.

"Who has to go to the lavatory?" Vernon, still cruel and a jackass as always, asked.

My eyes open slightly to see that all of the other five students have raised their hands, still half-asleep. But I didn't bother to raise my hand. I was too tired to even move.

_Five more minutes, Vernon… _I said in my head.

Of course, Vernon knew that none of them would leave without me. "You in the back!" he called over to me, "Are you coming or not?"

I slowly and shakingly raise my hand, indicating to Vernon that I'll go to the bathroom too.

"Good." Vernon said, "Now get up."

I roll myself off the three-chair bed… onto the floor. "AAUGH!" I yelled when I hit the floor on my back. That yelp startled everyone awake. They slowly turned to me to see if I'm alright. "Oww…" I murmured, in pain.

"You're fine, Camm." Vernon said, not really concerned of me, "Now everyone up! Let's go! Up, up, up!"

I climb myself up from the chair bed, separating the chairs, and then groggily follow the other equally groggily students and Vernon to the bathrooms. Slowly, we woke up from our slumbers, as we walked out to the old-looking hallway.

* * *

We all kept walking with the vice principal towards another hallway, where the bathrooms were at.

"So how long do we have, Mr. Vernon?" asked the nerd.

Vernon saw that only the nerd and I were up ahead, with the other four slacking behind. "Bring up the rear!" he beckoned everyone else to catch up. As soon as everyone caught up to both the nerd, Vernon, and I, Vernon continued, "Now that's three minutes for the girls, two minutes for the boys."

Bender, suspicious about this 'extra minute' the girls get, confronts Vernon. "How come the girls get an extra minute?" he questioned him.

"They're of the opposite sex, dildo." Vernon retorts.

The nerd and I walk into the boys' restroom, with me heading to a urinal while the nerd headed to a stall. Behind us, I could hear Bender ask Vernon, "Does that mean _Andy_ gets an extra minute?".

I rolled my eyes. _No, you idiot._ I thought to myself, _Don't you have other things to do other than insult everyone? Like what about going to piss? You were anxious about it like a couple hours ago…_

"Peel off, ladies!" I heard Vernon tell the girls. "Hagga nagga! You're on the clock!" he told everyone, "Are we inconveniencing you?"

Andrew and Bender walk into the bathroom, just as I unzipped my pants, lowered my underwear, and started peeing in the urinal. I notice Andrew headed to the urinal next to me, and I also notice Bender leaning towards the stall the nerd was using. He noticed the nerd was standing up, trying to pee.

"You know, if you piss while standing up in the stall, it means you're gay." Bender smugly stated to the nerd.

The nerd did not say anything to combat Bender's words. But I noticed that he went to the toilet, took his pants and underwear down, and sat on the toilet.

"If you sit on the toilet seat and piss, then you're a lesbian." said Bender. But it was too late - the nerd started peeing in the toilet, while sitting on the seat.

"Can you leave me to just pee?!" I hear the nerd complain.

"You know, it's not rocket science for you, Bender, to just basically insult everyone you see in sight." I tell Bender, zipping my pants back up after I've pee'd, then flushing the urinal.

"He's not wrong..." Andrew glanced at me, "It's kinda nature here."

I give him and Bender a look of disgust as I turned on the sink and started to wash my hands. "So ya think he's a lesbian for just sitting on the toilet seat to urine?" I question them.

Bender immediately nodded his head, as he took the urinal I left and started pissing. Andrew, on the other hand, looked around like he was in an awkward position. Nevertheless, he nodded his head as well.

I groaned. "He can't piss his pants, y'know?"

"Ditto." I hear the nerd say.

"Then piss in a urinal, like a big boy does." he said to the nerd.

Rolling my eyes, I turn the sink off, dried my hands, and walked out to encounter Vernon, who was monitoring us.

"Sir…" I greeted him, nonchalantly.

"I suppose none of you listened to the rule of no sleeping, huh?" Vernon questioned me.

"I thought you were talking to Bender." I said back to him.

Vernon shook his head, disappointed with my attitude. "No need for you to be sassy on me, young man!" he warned me, pointing his right finger at me.

_Fucker... _I say to him in my head.

Meanwhile, I could hear voices in the girls' room. "Could you give me skin cream?" I could faintly hear the cherryhead ask the mess, "My neck is _really_ sad…"

I turned my head away from the girls' bathroom, thinking that Vernon, who was looking hard at me, would view me as a perv.

I looked at Vernon again. "I had a dream." I told him, "You were in it."

Vernon ignored my start-up for a conversation, and turned his head to the two bathrooms.

I could still hear the cherryhead's faint voice in the bathroom. "What, you can't go and talk at the same time?" she asked the mess.

The nerd walked out of the boys' room, cleaned up and ready to get back to detention. "So, uh… what's going on?" he asked us after seeing Vernon in front of both bathrooms and me to the left of the mens' room.

"Nothing much." Vernon told him, before pointing towards my direction, "Except that young man over there told me he had a dream… while all of you were snoring up a storm in the library."

The nerd giggled, "Uh, sometimes I have a habit of snoring, y'know, really really loudly. It's just a slight condition that I was born with. It's, uh, a little family genetic that we get. You know how it is, right?"

Vernon said nothing.

"So, Mr. Vernon..." the nerd tried to start up a conversation with the vice principal, "How long have you been here at Shermer?"

_Suck-up... _I thought, a little peeved.

Vernon paid no attention to the nerd. "Shake it up!" he called to everyone, folding his arms, "Let's go, zip it up!" Then he turned to see something neither the nerd or I could see. He walked over to the other end of the hallway to investigate.

The nerd turned to me. "So… your dream… what was it about?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "Nothing much. It was a good dream, though." I told him, hiding what actually happened in it.

"Was I in it?" he asked me.

I looked at him. "Not that I know of."

I hear something in the boys' bathroom. "Hey Bender..." I hear Andrew's voice, "Why don't you drop that? It ain't yours..."

"Or what?" I hear Bender's.

"Or I'll knock it out myself." I hear Andrew again.

Hearing the girls in the bathroom again, I could hear the cherryhead say, "Oh this is _so_ sad… You wash your hands, but you'll eat food in front of a light toilet?"

The nerd and I looked at each other for a couple seconds, confused, knowing that the cherryhead was talking to the other girl, wondering what is really up with her. Suddenly, Bender walks out of the bathroom, holding a tattered and old jacket in his hands.

Andrew follows behind, eyeing the jacket. "Bender-" Andrew tried to tell him.

"I'm sorry." I could hear the cherryhead, "I didn't want to press you."

Bender turned to the girls' bathroom door, with a smirk on his face. "Wonder what party's going on in there?" he asked.

"Ah ah ah! I wouldn't peek in there if I were you, Mr. Bender." Vernon admonished, "Unless you'd want to get your _tenth_ Saturday, stay away from those girls! Would you like to stay until the end of the school year?" Bender, like anyone mature enough to hear Vernon's threat, backed up.

But we could all still hear the cherryhead's conversation with the mess, despite some of us trying not to pay attention to it. "Really, I was just reacting to something I consider a little out of the ordinary…" The cherryhead said from inside, "If you'd like to talk, I think I could probably handle it."

Twenty seconds or later, we see the mess exit the restroom. Another ten seconds later, we see the cherryhead exit out too.

"Has everyone gone and done their business?" Vernon asked everyone. When all of us nodded, he continued, "Good. Now back to detention. Go go, come on!" Vernon led the way as the girls looked at the old jacket Bender held.

"You find an old jacket of yours?" the cherryhead asked Bender.

Andrew shook his head. "No, it ain't his..."

Bender chuckled, smirking at us. "I found this in the big stall in the bathroom." he said, "Jockstrap's correct... it ain't mine… But here's what I found in the pockets…" Vernon turned around, instantly, suspicious if the jacket had drugs in it. Bender just shook the jacket hard, and out that fell from the jacket were tens of lifeless insects with yellow stripes and brownish wings.

All of us looked and groaned in disgust and fear, "Those are yellowjackets!" the nerd exclaimed to Bender.

Vernon walked back and examined the dead yellowjackets that fell on the floor. "Great…" he complained, "I'm gonna get a janitor to come clean this mess…" He turned to Bender, "Put that jacket on the floor, mister!" Bender did what he was told, as Vernon turned to all of us. For a couple of seconds, we did nothing. "What are you standing here for? Come on! Chop chop! Back to the library with you all!"

As Vernon left, all of us stood, still shocked. I, on the other hand, looked at the dead yellowjackets, then looked back at Vernon. "This school is so weird…" I told myself out loud.

The cherryhead walked towards me. "Trust me…" she said, "You don't know the _half_ of it…" She walked off, with Andrew trailing behind her.

Bender flashed yet another smug grin at me. "And by weird… you might mean, fun…" I rolled my eyes as Bender continued behind the others, leaving me, the mess, and the nerd.

As the nerd and I started to walk back with the others, I turned around to see the mess pick up one of the dead yellowjackets by the wing. The nerd stopped and gave me a confused look. I pointed to the mess.

He and I both saw the mess lift the deceased yellowjacket over her head, then proceeded to open her mouth, and drop it inside, stinger-first, chewing it, revolting the two of us. The chewing was loud enough for both of us to hear it.

"She just ate a yellowjacket!" the nerd complained, "Can you believe that?!"

I sighed to myself, and walked back to the library. I turned back to see the nerd and mess glaring at each other, before they finally decided to follow back.

"Let's go!" Vernon beckoned us to get back in, patting us on the backs to head back to our seats, "Come on! What is wrong with you? Get in! In, in, in! Hagga nagga!"

As soon as we were all back inside, Vernon walked back to the front of the table rows and folded his arms. "Good job to all of you, for not causing any trouble…" he told us, "Now, everyone, get back to your essays!" He strutted back to the library entrance, before glaring at us, and then turning back.

In the front table, I saw the cherryhead whisper something to Andrew, and Bender reaching in for a closer look to eavesdrop. I could probably tell she was talking about the mess. I turned my head to the table diagonal to mine to see the nerd putting his right hand on his forehead, probably still disgusted from the mess eating a yellowjacket. Then I turned my head to see the mess, who was mindlessly thinking of whatever the fuck she's thinking about.

Meanwhile, I remembered what had happened. I decided to write down what had happened in my dream. I had already written down five hundred and fifty words, so why not talk about my dream, and what would happen if it were ever realized?


	7. A Nice What?

**9:37 a.m. - Shermer High School - Library**

I've just finished writing down what had happened in my dream, and what would happen if it were ever to become a reality. I've also wrote down a couple of words on why I think it should be realized. How many is that? Almost six-hundred words, I would assume. I don't know anymore. I lost count when I fell asleep.

Bender, in front of me, looked around and turned back to me. "Look at yourself," he said, "You're the only one jottin' words down on that pathetic essay he wants us to do…"

The nerd perked up towards Bender, "Um, I'm also doing it too - just, uh… not as quick as Tim is doing it." he said. Bender glared at the nerd, then turned back to me.

I look up from my essay. "Cause I'm doing the right thing, ya know?" I responded, "If Vernon expects us all to make an essay, then we should do what he wants us to, right?"

Andrew and the cherryhead turn back to Bender, "What does it matter, man?" he asked him, "He's just doing what Vernon told us to do."

"Exactly!" I agreed.

"Hey new kid, what are you trying to be? A schmoozer?" Bender asked me, causing me to glare, "Cause there are a lot of these guys here who schmooze to Vernon."

"Well I ain't trying to suck up to _his_ ass." I said, rolling my eyes, "All I'm doing is making sure I'm not in his headlights for the future, by proving to him I'm not that much of a target." The nerd nodded his head in approval, but Bender ignored him.

"If you say that you're trying to stay out of his headlights… then there's no doubt that you might be a schmoozer…" he said, smugly.

"He's ran _you_ over a bunch of times, I could tell you that." I retorted.

As Bender glared at me when I said that, Andrew and the cherryhead giggle to themselves. This, of course, did not go unheard by Bender, as he turned around. "Well aren't _we_ jiggling our ta-tas…" he said out loud.

Both of them looked back at him, their giggling has stopped. "Your point?" asked the cherryhead.

"I'm just saying that… you think it's hilarious that I've screwed myself to here a bunch of times, but when _you_ get screwed by the bull, you have this cloud of shame hanging over you." Bender responded, having his hands over him to represent a 'cloud of shame'.

"We actually care about what we do right versus wrong." retorted Andrew.

"Unlike _certain_ people." said the cherryhead.

The letterman nodded with her, "Ya always end up in Vernon's headlights, and look what happened! He gave you nine Saturdays without hesitation!"

Bender grinned, chuckling at Andrew, "Me hearing this from a dude wearing _tights_ for a match…"

The nerd laughed when Bender said that to Andrew. I could tell that Andrew's face turned red as Bender mocked him. Trying to find something to retaliate against him, he threw his pencil towards the back, but the pencil flew over Bender and my head, landing a couple feet from where I sat at.

"Missed me…" reminded Bender.

Andrew said nothing else. He turned his back away from him, still angry with him, with the cherryhead putting her hand on his right arm, reassuring him not to lose his cool.

I, on the other hand, saw Andrew's pencil. Wanting to be helpful and give it back to him in case he needs it for his essay, I stood up and bent over to grab the pencil.

"You know you have a nice ass…" I heard Bender.

I looked in back of me to see Bender watching me. I also saw the cherryhead and Andrew glare at him. "You wanna say to her again, asshole?" Andrew threatened Bender.

Bender turned around to Andrew. "I wasn't talking to _her_, tight-wearer." he said to him, resulting in another glare from the letterman.

"I'm sorry, were you talking about me?" I asked Bender, incredulous.

Bender laughed, turning his head towards me. I also heard the nerd chuckle a bit too. "Your ass… it's thick. Thick enough for someone to squeeze it hard…" he said, showing his hands trying to 'grab' something, "I could assume someone would find it… self-indulging, right?"

I wasn't having it though. I stood up, pissed with the dude. "Fuck off..."

"Would you stop, please?" the cherryhead desperately asked Bender to quit bothering me, or anyone at all, "Nobody's interested in you playing predator."

Bender smirked at the cherryhead. "How 'bout your ass, Cherry?" he asked her, "I bet… your cheeks are just as thick as Tim's!" He points to me, as I cover up my own ass. He looked underneath his table to see her behind pressed on her chair, her legs slightly 'kicking' the air. "I bet… I bet that if I look underneath that skirt of yours," A rosy-cheeked cherryhead covered her long skirt. "They might be even thicker…" He points to her chair, before turning back up to see her.

Andrew, having enough of Bender, stood up to confront him. What I noticed was that Andrew was at least a couple of inches shorter than Bender. _A wrestler versus a delinquent… I'd like to see who would survive this one…_

Andrew advanced towards Bender. "You know something man?" he asked, slapping the man's chest, "If we weren't in school right now, I'd waste you!"

Bender just stared at Andrew, defiantly. He barely reacted to the slap, as if it were just a tiny fly that flew on his chest. "Can you hear this?" he asked the letterman, pointing his middle finger to the floor. "You want me to turn it _up_?" He flipped his hand over, showing Andrew the bird.

As I saw them argue, I noticed the mess, who had apparently hopped two seats right from her old seat, gazing at my rear. I remembered that she was giving me uncomfortable flirting gestures towards me earlier, as I stepped back and turned my ass away from her, turning my head away from her. But I did notice that she was glaring at me when I turned my ass away from her.

"Those tights of yours getting tangled?" Bender asked Andrew.

"I'll kick your ass if you mention tights again!" Andrew threatened Bender yet again.

The nerd stood up. I could see the nervous look he had on his face, as he saw the confrontation escalating. "Guys, maybe we should, uh… not make things get too complicated?" he suggested. No one paid attention to him. "Don't you have an ass to talk about?" he asked Bender.

This got everyone, including me, to turn towards him. The nerd giggled at himself when all the attention was brought to him. The tension did die down between Bender and Andrew, but when he did ask Bender to talk about my ass again, that set me off.

"Fuck off, bitch!" I fired at him, embarrassed, still covering my butt, "Or I'll shove you into a pile of shit!"

Andrew looked at the doors, anxiously, hoping that the fight wouldn't alert Vernon to come in and punish us. He turned around, holding his hands as if he were to set everyone straight. "Alright, I've had enough of this bullshit." he said. "You," he points to Bender, "Shut your mouth up and sit your ass down!" He points to the nerd, "You, quit thinking about Tim's ass!"

"Sorry…" the nerd said, putting his right hand on his left arm, guiltily.

"And you," Andrew pointed to me, "Let's watch the attitude, huh?"

I give a nonchalant sigh, "Fine..."

"Sorry I said that, Tim." said the nerd.

I looked at the nerd, who had a genuinely guilty look on his face. I gave a sigh, thinking to myself that I was feeling too harsh on the nerd. "It's fine." I told him, "I just lost my cool there..."

I looked at everyone else. When Andrew and the nerd said my name, it got me a gut feeling inside my chest: Who is everyone's names? I mean if I introduced myself to them, why everyone else introduce themselves to me?

"What are your names?" I asked everyone.

Everyone turned around. Bender, in particular, smirked at me. "_Now_ you're becoming a joiner…"

I rolled my eyes. Up ahead, I saw Andrew wave towards me. When I turned my head to him, he said, "Well, I'm sure you know what _my_ name is, 'cause Vernon said it like a couple hours ago."

"Yeah, Andrew, right?" I asked him. He nodded back.

Bender was about to say something, but Andrew said, "Don't say anything about me and him."

I stand up and walk towards Bender.

"I _wasn't_." he argued with Andrew, "I was about to tell him _my _name!"

I point to him, "I know the answer to that. You're Bender."

"Yeah." he said, turning his head to me, "Well, Bender's my last name. People call me that because they want to 'assert authority on to me.'" He said in a mocking tone that would seem like he was mocking people like Andrew or Vernon. "My _real_ name is John." I could hear Andrew scoff, but I ignored it.

I nodded my head. "John." John nodded his head. "Good to know."

The nerd raised his hand, which gained my attention. "My name is Brian." I nodded to the nerd, now knowing his name is Brian.

"Like I said, ya don't need to raise your hand or anything!" said Bender. All Brian did was giggle awkwardly.

"I'm Claire." I heard the cherryhead say to me.

I nodded to the cherryhead, now knowing her name is Claire. Bender turned to her, "Ka-Laire…" he pronounced in a menacing tone, standing up.

"Yes, Claire." she responded, "It's a family name."

Bender shook his head. "Noooo… it's a fat girl's name." he mocked, walking towards her seat.

"Why thank you." Claire said, sarcastically.

"You're welcome."

"I'm _not_ fat!"

"Well, not at present," said Bender, "But I could see you really pushing maximum density." I saw Claire glaring at Bender as he kept on rambling, as Bender walked in front of where she sat. "You see, I'm not sure if you know this… but there are two kinds of fat people. There are fat people who are _born_ to be fat, and then there's fat people who were _once_ thin, but they became fat." Bender stopped in front of her. "So when you look at em, you can sorta see that thin person inside." Claire looked to her side, doubting Bender's speech about what she might 'become'. "You see, you're gonna get married whenever you feel like it, and then you're gonna squeeze out a couple puppies, and then… uh…" Bender starts to make strange noises, "Oommmmff… oommmmmff… PFFT!" When Bender saw the glare on Claire's face again, he continued, "It wouldn't be a surprise when soon, your tum-tum is as juicy as Tim's ass."

I gave Bender the death glare, before walking back to my table.

I could hear Brian talk to Andrew, "He's right you know."

"What?" Andrew responded quietly, annoyed, "That Claire's gonna be... you-know-what someday?"

"No," said Brian, "That Tim's butt is… uh, nice."

I stop at the side of my table, and give a stressful sigh. _I am here, with the most irritating group of idiots on this planet!_ I thought to myself, ready to throw whatever I could on my table (my pencil and my essay paper) towards them. I know I'm trying to get to know them, but between the four talking about being fat and my ass being a gaze to stare at, and the mess, who kept staring at me, being… a mess, I was stuck in hell. If only I'd have the power to be invisible, that way I could disappear from these idiots (unless Vernon bursts in to check on us) and never have to be involved with whatever comes out of their mouths. I mean, sure, I want to make friends, but having to listen or be apart of these irritating conversations is making me want to steer clear from them. _How much longer do I have until I'm outta here?_

I looked at the clock right at the top of the library, and I could see that it was just after 9:40. _Ughhh… Just kill me now, Vernon._ I thought to myself.

Then I look at the mess, who was gazing at my ass. When she looked at me, I raise an eyebrow. _Really?_ I thought to myself. But the mess stared at me, like I was planning to bomb the school. I could also see that she had her paper in front of her, turned upside down.

"What's _your_ name?" I asked her. She didn't respond. For ten seconds, I let her have the opportunity to say what her name is, but she didn't say anything at all. "Forget it." I told her, "It ain't important." I headed back to my seat, refocusing my attention on my essay.

Bender walked towards the back tables. I could tell he was thinking of something to say to her. He plopped a seat next to the mess, staring at her.

"So…" Bender said, "Whatchya doin' here today?" The mess turned her head away from him, remaining quiet. "Did you… break a limb? ...Or… piss in the halls? ...What about… smoking joint?" The mess did not say anything. "You must be mute…"

The rest of us looked at Bender and his (failing) attempts to make a conversation with the mess.

"Doesn't look like she wants to talk." said Claire.

"Either that, or she might've been born mute." said a sarcastic Andrew.

Bender turned to see the others. "Well I beg to differ." he remarked, before turning to the mess again, "D'you like heavy metal?" She still did not respond. Bender leaned in to her. "I think your just the guinea pig who would _love_ Slayer."

I glanced over to see her lower her eyebrows, through her hair, her eyes turning to Bender.

"You heard of them?" She still did not respond, but I could see her shaking. "You don't look too good…" Bender kept on egging him, "Want me to turn the heat up for you, _toots_?"

Still, the mess did not speak. Bender looked over to her sheet of paper which was flipped over. "What's this?" he asked, reaching over to grab it. Suddenly, his hand was slapped away by the mess.

The mess then jerked her head towards Bender and angrily hissed at him like a cat. The rest of us jerked to see such fury coming out of her. Bender, though, did not seem fazed by this. Instead, he just had that deadpan look as if nothing happened to him.

"You might've gotten a _little_ too frisky with her, man." I told him.

Bender jerked his head back to me. "If you think so, why don't _you_ talk to her?" he spat at me.

I rolled my eyes, "I already did."

But Bender jumped out of the chair that sat next to the mess' chair, grabbed my arm, dragged me across to the table on the other side, and threw me into that chair. As we exchanged glares at him, he beckoned his head towards her, and walked back to his table. Andrew glared at Bender while Brian and Claire stared in shock.

I did not know what to do with the mess, as all I could do next was turn to see the mess stare at me dead in the eyes. She had that creepy stoic look on her face as if she was ready to murder me in a brutal fashion and set all my torn-apart limbs on fire.

"So…" I tried to say, "What's your hobby?"

The mess stared at me for a couple of seconds, before grabbing her paper that was supposed to be used for her essay she's supposed to write, somehow not turning away from me, flipped it over, and moved it in front of me.

I looked at the paper, and instead of words and writings, there were drawings. There were six people in her drawing: a vampire, a prisoner, a viking, an astronaut, a bride, and a punk.

I turned my head to her. "So… art's your hobby." I asked. As a matter of fact, I knew that art was her hobby, regarding her amazing picture that she made before we went to the bathroom. I just pretended like I didn't know.

She pointed to me the figures. I looked at them again, and the more I looked at them, the more I could distinguish their faces and appearances more clearly. I could see an angry mess as the vampire roaring 'at the viewer', with pointy teeth as fangs. Then I could see Bender as the prisoner, with a death glare and showing the horns sign, which is accurately fitting for him.

"Huh…" I said to her, "You must have a big imagination."

I looked back at the picture, and I saw Andrew as the viking, who had a mighty grin on his face, wielding an axe. He was not even wearing a shirt. I saw Brian as the astronaut, who had a normal smile on his face. Then I saw Claire as the bride, who was holding a bouquet of flowers with her left hand and her right hand on her head, as if she was about to faint. Then I saw the punk, who had his arms folded, having a deadpan look on his face. I couldn't really distinguish who it was.

"Who is that?" I asked the mess. As the mess kept on staring at me, I looked back at the picture, confused, trying to distinguish who the punk was supposed to be based on. After studying the image, I glare up into the ceiling.

I turned back to the mess. I knew that she drew them based on her studying our personalities, including her own. "The punk's me, right?" I asked her.

The mess did not say anything. All she did was stare at me dead in the eyes. Everyone else stared at us.

Brian leaned over to view the picture himself, only for the mess to snatch her picture away from him and hide it. "You don't like to show off your work, do you?" he asked her, innocently.

I sighed to myself. I knew she was one of those students who doesn't like anyone to look at her masterpieces. "Y'know, I'm kinda like that too." I told her.

The mess stared at me again, saying nothing to me. In back of me, I hear Bender walk towards my table. I turn back to see him grab my essay. He skimmed at my essay as I stood up to confront him. But when I went up to him, he placed his left hand on my forehead. I couldn't even get out of his grip.

"Dude, let him be!" Andrew threatened Bender again, "Or I'll beat the shit outta you w-wi-," he looked around frantically, before looking at his own chair, "with my chair!"

Bender ignored him. Fifteen seconds later, he placed the essay down on my table. He turned to me and said, "That dream will never happen, buddy."

Not wanting to hear anything else from his mouth, I snatched away my essay paper and walked back to the table the mess sat at.

I hear Bender walk back to his table. "New kid's like MLK Jr. over here!" he told everyone.

"Shut up…" I heard Andrew tell him.

"He wants to be some kind of revolutionizer of poetry!" argued Bender, "I don't think it'll happen!"

"I like poetry." said Brian.

"Let him be, John." said Claire, "If he wants to be a poet, let him be a poet!"

"And I wonder what dreams will not be coming to _you_, Claire…" Bender told her, "As far as I'm concerned, you might think of yourself thirty years from now as president!"

"I'm not into politics." she responded, shaking her head.

Bender smirked at her. "Good to know…" he said back.

"I don't see why you think that's good to know..." she argued.

"You'll get the idea..." he responded.

Meanwhile, the mess pushed a VHS tape to me. I examined it to see a sticky note with a writing that says, 'Upstairs. Back of the library. TV next to bookshelf'. The mess and I stare at each other for a long ten seconds. I look back down at the tape, stood up, and walked to the back of the library.

Walking up the side stairs, to the back, I noticed more that the library was aging. Its graying paint was starting to get chipped, and the blue lights were dimming. _This school is so old, it really needs to be demolished and started over. _I thought, _Sad-looking exteriors, blackouts in the halls, constant littering, yellowjackets in clothing, chipping paint… There's no way in hell that this school is going to survive to hold future students. _

Eventually, I saw a small TV on top of a VHS player, next to a bookshelf that had the genre, 'Historical Fiction'. Glancing at the VHS tape I held in my hand, I saw to the side of it in white marker saying, 'LSON'. _I should keep that in mind_, I thought.

I took off the sticky note that instructed me where to go, and put the VHS in the player.

I turned the TV on, which took twenty seconds or so to finally turn on. Though the image in the picture box had static, and it was hard for me to listen clearly because the TV's volume was really quiet.

But I saw the moving images. I read the subtitles that said, 'March 14, 1972 - Shelby's Play'. I saw on the TV that it was a school play, as it took place in an auditorium, full house of audience members present, and there were two figures on the stage. One of them was a tall, slim girl with long black hair. I could barely make out her face, except I could see that her eyebrows are highly arched. Shocking, no? The other figure was a boy of African descent with a crew cut. Both of them wore outfits that were from the 20's. The setting was two cardboard walls colored to make backgrounds of an old cottage from the 20's overlooking a farmland, and it took place in what looked like the dining room of the cottage, with a table and five chairs, two on one side, two on the other, one at the head.

The students in that play were acting. "Magnolia, my fairest, sweetest, most compassionate lass… My eyes never failed me. You are… the most beautiful sweetheart I've ever laid my eyes upon!" said the boy.

I rolled my eyes, aware that this 'Shelby' girl has written a little repetition in her play.

"My sweetest, Billy…" said the girl, "I knew you would say that to me… You've shot an arrow to my heart ever since I saw you first…"

_Blehh… love… _I thought, disgusted. It's not the problem with love stories I hear, it's just how people like this 'Shelby' girl portrays them - constant complimenting, schmoozing, zero conflict.

As I kept on watching the play, the girl puts her right hand on the head chair. Just as she was about to speak, she could not even move her hand. Her hand was stuck. "Wha?" she said, shocked, "My hand, it's stuck!" When she saw that the boy was staring at her, she yelled, "Don't just stand there, n-" That word she uttered out, everyone gasped and some audience members (I could tell some of them were of African descent) stood up and boo'd the girl.

I was taken aback when the girl called the boy the n-word, myself. Back in the city, I've heard of it a bunch of times, where people bicker and fight on the streets. But my parents have advised me not to say it to anyone, not that I would say it to anyone.

The girl continued yelling at the boy, "Get your ass over here and HELP ME!" The boy, naturally taken back after hearing her say that rude insult, begrudgingly, went over to assist the girl. The girl kept on flailing her other arm, until it landed on the chair.

I laughed to myself. _Now she's never gonna get her hand out!_ I thought, smirking at the girl's misfortune and karma.

More and more students, cast dressed up in 20's clothing, and crew, dressed up in black shirts and black pants, went over to assist the girl. But what caught my eye was a student dressed in black and white, wearing a paper bag on their head. _Is that the mess? _I thought to myself.

The students in the video kept on trying, and failing, to get the girl unstuck from the chair. Eventually, they all tried pulling the chair off her hands. After eight seconds of pulling, they finally got it off, only to hit the cardboard backgrounds, knocking them over, and causing the students to fall down with it. None of the students could get up, as _they_ were all stuck as well. At that point, the audience either laughed, boo'd, or panicked.

The student with the bag on their head stood in front of the destruction of the stage. Just then, the girl noticed them and marched over, furiously. "You did this!" she roared, "You're gonna pay for this! I'M GONNA KILL YOU!" The girl ripped the bag off the students head to reveal a familiar face.

_It IS the mess!_ I thought to myself, shocked that she would do this to her fellow cast and crew members.

The girl grabbed the mess by her shoulders, opened her mouth, and her teeth hit the back of her neck. I could hear the mess scream out, loud and shrill. _Damn… _I thought, _She must've bit her hard…_

The other cast and crew members who weren't stuck to the walls, along with a couple of staff members, including Vernon himself, ran over to the girl and restrained her from committing cannibalism. The girl screamed and cursed, pointing furiously at the mess, accusing her of 'ruining her fame and glory', before she started speaking incoherently. Meanwhile, I saw the mess fall to the ground, where I could see blood fall from the back of her neck.

Having enough, I turned the TV off and unloaded the VHS tape from the player. I looked at the marker writing on the side of the tape, 'LSON'. I thought to myself for a moment to puzzle if it had to do with the mess' name.

I turn around to see the mess stare at me, startling me and almost causing me to fall back.

As we exchanged stares at each other, I pointed to the writing on the tape. "LSON…" I said to her, "Is your name…" I started to realize something about a name that came up to my mind, "Allison?" I pronounced it as 'Al-ih-son'.

The mess nodded her head, which was the first time I've seen her at least acknowledge any of us talking to her.

"That girl…" I said to her, "Why did you do that to her?" She didn't respond to me. A couple seconds, I asked, "Did it hurt?", thinking about the girl biting the back of her neck.

Allison didn't say anything, but she did uncover her jacket, and revealed underneath her black shirt a scar of the bite. I shivered, realizing how painful it might've felt if someone did that to me.

"Sorry that happened to you…" I told her.

But Allison didn't say anything to me. She got up and walked away from me.

_Is that why she doesn't talk?_ I thought to myself, _Because she's afraid someone's gonna take a bite off of her?_

Eventually, I got up and headed back downstairs, where I was met with everyone gazing at me, concerned about how I'm feeling now.

"What happened?" asked Brian, "What did she show you on that tape?"

But I didn't respond to him. I just simply headed back to my own table and refocused my attention back to my essay, where I have less than halfway to go before I'm done with it entirely.


	8. To Be Or Not To Be a Virgin

**10:05 a.m. - Shermer High School - Library**

Writing down words on my essay became sort of an easy job when I first started this essay. As I kept on jotting them down, my mind that gave me the words to write down started to go on a slower pace. I looked at some of the others. They were writing words down on their own papers, but they were still ways off, not as quick as I was. I looked at the six-hundred or so words that I have wrote down, and I could say that it was good enough for me to… I don't know, take a break.

I rose my head up to see everyone. "I don't usually start up conversations, but… what are you guys like?"

The others in front of me turned to me. I thought to myself, _Are they judging me? Did I do something wrong?_

"Like, what do you mean, what are we like?" Claire asked me.

"Well, just, curious…" I said, rolling my eyes, "I don't know. Since I'm new here and I'm stuck here for the next…" I look at the clock, and I see that it was six minutes after 10:00, then I did the math for how many hours I'm still here, "Six hours, with y'all. I just want to get to know you guys."

Brian stood up, "Well, you can sit with me and I can tell you about myself… if you're okay with that."

I turn to Brian, staring at him for a couple of seconds. I stood up and started towards his table, just as he prepared a seat for me.

"You takin' a break from your essay?" Bender asked me, eyeing my paper.

I stopped short from walking and instantly snatched my essay away from Bender before he could look at it. I glare at the burnout as I turn towards Brian's table. As I headed to the table next to him, he smiled at me, happy that I am giving him some company.

"So…" I told him, "What are you like everyday?"

"Well, uh… I'm sure you remember the different clubs that I told you I was apart of: the math club, the physics club, and the, err… latin club." said Brian, "Just curious, you're still interested in the math club, right?" I nodded my head. "Good. And I'm also good at history, uh… philosophy, and… even poetry."

"I remember, you did say you liked poetry." I told him, disregarding the 'uhs' and 'errs' he kept uttering, "To me, poetry isn't just about writing your imagination and sticking to it. Poetry is about… something more."

"Ah yes." said Brian, "The passion and heart of it." He giggled a bit. "That's important."

"True." I said.

Brian looked around a bit, before finally turning to me, putting his left hand on his right arm. "Um… My least favorite subject at school is shop."

"What?" I asked him, "Like, building things. That kind of stuff?"

Suddenly, Bender stood in front of Brian's table. "I don't see why not." he said to us. He turned to me, "Do you think he looks tough to you?" I shook my head.

"Well, I'm… okay with physical education. I mean, it's not my favorite subject, but if anything, it's much better than shop."

I look at him, confused. "Why?" I asked, "Something wrong in that class?"

Brian turned to me. He was about to say something, but then he paused himself, mouth agape. Eventually, he came up with a response, "Nothing much…" he told me, "I just… don't like it all that much…" He looked down, feeling upset, scratching the back of his head. I saw everyone else stare at him.

"If you don't wanna talk about, you don't have to." I said to him.

Brian tuned up his head, and I could tell that he was near tears. "I-it's nothing… Sorry, Tim." he reassured me, standing up from his chair, "I… would rather not dwell on it." He walked away from his table and towards a bookshelf.

Seeing how he almost became a waterworks, I stared at him, sympathetic, wondering what's up with him and shop class. I gave a heavy sigh, knowing that the answer might not come to me soon or so.

"That class might've roughened him up or something." Andrew pointed out.

"Maybe we shouldn't talk about it with him…" I heard Claire whisper.

Then I saw Brian walk over to a stool across from the tables, separated by railings. He opened up the book to a random page number and gazed at it without even acknowledging us.

Bender stared at him in particular. Without saying a word, he walked to the other side of the library. _Did Brian drop something back there and only Bender noticed?_ I thought.

I turn back to see Andrew stand up and walk to the railings next to Claire. There, he started stretching his calves on the top bar. Claire looked back to see me, where we exchanged stares. Then she motioned her head towards me with a short smile on her face, and pulled the chair next to her.

"So," I said, walking towards the chair, "What are _you_ like every day here?"

As I sat down next to her, she responding, "Nothing much… I don't really get in trouble that often…"

"Yeah, neither do I." Andrew said to me.

"I got elected queen from my homecoming." Claire said to me.

I nodded. "Not prom, like what Bender was saying earlier?"

Claire shook her head. "Not like that... yet."

I turn to Andrew, "How about you, Andrew?"

Andrew turned his head towards me, "Well for me, I'm a wrestler… _varsity_ wrestler. Ya see, there are two types of wrestling teams at Shermer High: the average wrestling team, and the varsity wrestling team."

"And you're part of the varsity team?" I asked him.

Andrew nodded, "I'd like to point out some _notable_ difference here... varsity team's more financed by the school…"

"Yeah, like more access to better coaching." Claire agreed.

"Oh yeah! Also, the varsity team tends to have stronger fellas than the average team."

I nodded, understanding him. "Good to hear." I said.

"Usually I get like a few detentions or so, but what I've done... they're not... _too_ shitty," Andrew continued, his tone sounding more sheepishly as if he was about to break out in nervous chuckles.

"What happened man?" I asked him, sensing something was up with him.

"I, uh... did something, a-and..." he looked down feeling guilty, "I'm in... what's that word?"

Claire turned to him, "Deep shit?"

"Yeah, that's the one! Y'know... I heard that... it'll be smeared on my record... Might not get some scholarship to anywhere I'll go in a year, you know what I mean?"

I nodded to him. I looked at him, curious on what he did wrong. It's bad enough seeing Brian feeling upset about what he did wrong, but seeing Andrew… _Is everyone feeling miserable?_ I thought to myself, _What HAVE they done to deserve here?_

"I mean, it's so fucked being here on a Saturday…" Claire said, feeling upset as well.

"Huh, tell me about it." said Andrew.

"Well it's way worse for me…" I told them, "I started here yesterday, in the middle of the school year, and I manage to land myself into detention."

Andrew and Claire looked at me, as I saw sympathetic looks on their faces. "Must bite." said Andrew, "Seeing how new you are to this school, i-it must be tough to get detention slated for the next day."

"_Specifically_ on a Saturday…" Claire reminded us.

"I know!" I said, "What's wrong with having detention after school?"

"If your VP's name is Richard Vernon," said Andrew, "Then that means you'll be in for a _long _lecture on why after-school detentions don't work."

I shrugged, "Well, my parents _did_ try to appeal to it. But he said no."

"That's what my father did for me." said Claire, "But Vernon was too stubborn to even let it go. He says all handouts are final, no matter how much someone tries to atone."

As we kept on talking, Bender hopped up onto the library desk, with a book in his hands.

"Do your parents always try to appeal to certain things for you?" I asked Claire.

"Well, it's kinda complicated…" she replied, "Y'see, my family's rich, but they're not always agreeing, one-hundred percent, with each other on what they should do with me."

Just as I was about to say something, we could hear Bender ripping out the pages from the book he was looking at. We all stared at him, annoyed. He threw it to where Brian was near. Brian turned to see how far it went, but the page only floated down to the ground near Bender.

As Bender ripped a couple more pages, Andrew told him, sarcastically, "That's real intelligent…"

"You're right." said Bender, "It's wrong to destroy literature."

_It is… You're just hurting someone's work that they've done so hard. _I thought as I nodded to myself.

But Bender kept on ripping the pages from the work, "It's such fun to read… and…" He read something on the page he just ripped off, "Mol-laye really pumps my nads."

Claire and I giggled, knowing that he got the pronunciation wrong. "Mol-yaire." Claire pronounced it, correctly. Bender stared at her, and Claire smiled, smugly.

I giggled a bit more, "She told _you_…" I said to Bender, pointing to him.

Instantly triggered, Bender, threw all the pages he torn apart at my direction, which did nothing because they all floated to the ground where he sat at.

"Weak arm." I told him, smugly. I heard Claire, Andrew, and Brian giggle, with Claire lightly slapping my right arm.

Bender jumped down from the desk, grabbed a torn piece of the paper he threw on the ground, crumpled it up into a paper ball, and chucked it to my head like a baseball. For a couple of seconds, Bender and I stared at each other, before Bender turned back to the desk, hopped back onto the top. "Big deal." he said, digging his hands behind his back, before ripping something out.

We saw that he ripped out a card catalogue drawer, taking some cards out. "Nothing to do when you're locked in a vacancy."

"Speak for yourself…" said Andrew.

Bender locked eyes with Andrew. "Do you think I'd speak for you?" he asked him, "I don't even know your language."

Andrew, wanting to waste no more attention on Bender, as he grabbed the cards he threw out, put them all in a stack, and started putting them back in the drawer, turned to Claire. "Hey, you grounded tonight?"

"I don't know." Claire shrugged, "My mom said I was, but my dad told me to just blow her off."

Bender kept on putting the cards back in the drawer, slamming the drawer with each card back inside.

"Big party at Stubbie's." said Andrew.

I look at Andrew, confused. "Stubbie?"

"Yeah, he's on the varsity wrestling team with me." Andrew told me, "He's not the _friendliest_ guy, so I'd stay clear of him." I nodded to him. "His parents are in Europe. Party's gonna be wild."

I thought to myself again… _Wouldn't it be nice if I was also at that party? I could meet some more people there, and try to make a good first impression on them as possible._ I then realized that my dad's coming over tonight and taking me, mom, and my step-dad to dinner, and he's gonna ask how I am did today, and how detention treated me today.

"Can you go?"

"I doubt it…" said Claire.

"How come?" Andrew asked her.

"Well, 'cause of I do what my mother tells me to not to do, it's because my father says it's okay." Claire explained, "There's like this whole big monster deal, it's endless, and it's a total drag. It's like any minute…" Claire tried to think of what could happen if her parents got into a falling out that would end all falling outs, "Divorce…"

"My parents are divorced…" I told her, reminiscing my parents' current social status, "But they're still friends…"

Claire nodded, "You must be lucky. They must sound like they are friendly and all. Mine tend to treat each other like two bobcats."

"Who do you like better?" Bender asked her, refraining from slapping the card drawer.

Claire stared at Bender, confused, "What?"

"You like your old man more than your mom?"

Claire shrugged, "They're both strict."

Bender shook his head, "No, I mean, if you had to choose between them."

My parents have joint custody of me; I live with one of them half the week, I live with the other the other half.

"I dunno…" Claire said, after thinking about who she would want to live with for a couple seconds, "If anything, I'd probably live with my brother… I mean, I don't think either one of them gives a shit about me… It's like they use me just to get back at each other."

I nodded, understanding how if Claire's parents got divorced, she would be put in the brunt of hell. I was about to ask if she likes her brother over her parents, when...

"HA!" I heard someone yell.

We all turned around to see the source of the yell. It was Allison. _Oh my god… Allison can talk! Turns out she's not mute as we all thought she was. She's probably just… quiet._

Allison didn't say anything else. She just acknowledged us as a whole, blowing her hair, and gave out a grin. I smirked at her, knowing that she is _maybe_ a bit sociable. But I ain't sure if that's true or not. I saw Andrew smirking at her. I think he, too, is impressed.

But not all of us were impressed with her. "Shut up!" Claire shouted to her.

"You're just feeling sorry for yourself." Andrew said, turning back to her.

"Yeah, well if I did, nobody else would." Claire responded, "Well… besides Tim, but his parents, at least, can be in the same _room_ as each other without getting pissed off!"

_That's sorta true…_

"Aww, you're breaking my heart." said Andrew.

"Sporto."

"What?" Andrew turned to Bender.

Bender threw the card stack away. "Do _you_ get along with your parents?" he asked.

"Well if I say yes, I'm an idiot, right?" Andrew asked him, standing up.

Bender hopped over the railings to confront him. "You're an idiot anyways." he told him. I heard Claire stifling a laugh. "But if you say that you get along with your parents, well you're a liar too."

"How would _you_ know?" I asked him. Bender looked at me. "You must be some kind of psychiatrist who deals with this kind of shit." Bender folded his arms at me. Nothing happened for the next few seconds as we remained quiet. "Do you have bad parents too?" I finally asked him.

Bender ignored my question and walked back over to his table, bumping on my back along the way. Andrew followed him back, pissed.

"Hey." Andrew called to him, "Don't call _my_ parents out! What they're doing is none of your damn business!"

Bender rolled his eyes, turning back to the jock. "Oh what?" he asked him. "You live in a foster home, meathead?"

Andrew glared even nastier at the burnout. It looked like both of them were about to go all out and butt heads into each other.

Brian hopped from his stool to try and mediate the situation, putting his hands on each of their shoulders. "Hey… fellas." Both boys slap Brian's hands off of them. Brian continued, "I don't, I don't like my parents either! I mean, I don't, y'know, get along with them… their… their idea of parental compassion is, wacko!"

_You seem too nice to be abused by parents, babblemouth… _

Andrew pushed Brian aside and went to sit on the edge of my table.

Bender turned to Brian. "Dork?" he asked him. "You… are a parent's wet dream. Kay?" He slapped his hand on Brian's back.

"Well, that's the problem!"

"Look, I can see you all bunged up for making you wear these kinds of clothes." Bender told him, "But face it! You're a Neo-Maxi-Zoom-Dweebie!"

_Geez! I didn't know, Bender, you had a great sense of vocabulary…_

"What would you be doing to yourself if you weren't out making yourself a better citizen?" he asked Brian.

Andrew shook his head, disappointed. "Why do you always have to insult everybody?"

Bender turned to Andrew, glaring at him, "Hey, I'm being honest, asshole. I would expect _you… _to know the difference."

"He should speak for himself…" Claire whispered to me. Confused, I pointed to Bender, seeing if she was referring to him. "Yeah… him."

"Yeah, tell me about it." I said to her, "He hasn't said one thing positive to anyone here! Wouldn't be surprised if Andrew _wasted_ him at this very moment…"

"I feel like guys like him and Andy would be butting heads at each other, just to get a gain of authority." she said to me. I shrugged, but kept on listening, "Y'know, guys like them are just looking to get ahead of each other… I've been there, and I saw two guys fightin' in piles of mud and giving each other nosebleeds. Pretty gross, if you ask me."

I have a flashback of myself back in the city. I remember thugs and older kids yelling at me, shoving me, spitting at me, throwing punches at me, and throwing my head into piles of shit. It was _disgusting_! I remember coming back to my dad's apartment and I would instantly hit the showers, trying to clean as much rubbish, dirt, and blood off of me. I would have to take 5 or so showers under the span of a two hour period, and I would have to buy a ton of soap for every bottle or bar that I've used up.

I look at Claire, suspiciously. I remember that she's a rich girl prep, and that they look down on every other body of student. "Pristine much?" I asked her.

"Please…" Claire rolled her eyes, "I'm not _that_ pristine…"

"Well… if you've been beaten up in the city a buncha times, you'd probably get an idea…" I said.

Then Bender strolled over to our table, distinctly eyeing Claire. "What's this… 'us fightin' in the mud stuff' and 'being beat up in a city' talk you guys are rambling about?" he asked us.

Claire folded her arms. "Just the fact that _you'd_ fight someone, and get all down and gross." she simply told Bender.

"Sounds like a pristine thing of you to say…" said Bender. Claire rolled her eyes. When that didn't click her, Bender went all in, leaning in to her. "Question… Are you… a virgin?"

Claire perked up. She looked like she was about to bitch slap the hell out of Bender, which would be interesting to see.

"I'll bet you a million dollars that you are!" he kept persisting.

Back at my school, I knew what a virgin was, but nobody talked about it. Either that, or they _did_ talk about it, and I didn't hear about it until now. "What's so important about being a virgin?"

"Nothing!" An uncomfortable Claire tried to brush it off, "Nothing's important about it!"

I saw Andrew, who bounced from my table and stood on top of Bender's. He still had an angry expression on his face. "So Tim, you know how a virgin's someone who hasn't done it?"

"It… as in-" I tried to say, puzzling the pieces.

"Exactly!" Claire pointed out.

"They usually get the shit end of the stick because they haven't broken their virginities with any other person they've encountered." said Andrew, "And people make fun of them because they think they're total losers or whatever…"

"Sporto's right!" said Bender, pointing to him. He turned back to Claire, who was still glaring at him. "Let's end the suspense…" He pushed his head forward into Claire. "Is it gonna be a… white weddin?"

"Why don't you just shut up?!" said Claire.

Bender wasn't swayed whatsoever. "Have you ever kissed a boy in the mouth?" He kept on whispering to her as Claire became more and more uncomfortable. It looked like she was ready to cry. "Have you ever been felt up? Over the bra… under the blouse… shoes off… hoping to God your parents don't walk in?"

"Aren't _you_ the king of sex business." I said.

Bender turned his head towards me. "Yeah? What say you?"

"Hey ya don't need to get on _his_ case either!" Andrew tried to intervene.

"I'm saying that, based on your tone of voice…, the type that creeps people out, your desperation…, you questioning people like Claire if they're a virgin, your appearance…, the type where girls would steer clear of you because they're afraid of the possibilities… of you having a condom…" I said to him, "Takes one to know one!"

To my side eye, Claire gave a short smile to me as an appreciation for at least trying to defend her, but I could see goosebumps on her arms, indicating she's still feeling uncomfortable.

"If you know a lot of things about certain people being a virgin… then it's possible that _you_ might be one…" Bender stared at me, intently. "I wouldn't be laughing about unbroken virginities if I were you."

Bender stared at me, before turning away, pretending that nothing happened. He kept on persisting to Claire, "C'mon, Claire," his voice whispered darkly, "Still thinking about it? Over the panties… no bra… blouse unbuttoned… Calvin's in a ball on the front seat past eleven… on a school night." he told her.

Claire, at this point, was ready to lose it. "Do you want me to puke?" she asked him.

"Leave her alone." Andrew tried to say to her.

Bender kept on staring at her, intently, "You mean you don't want some of this?" He started making kissy gestures, similar to how Allison made them towards me earlier, and started making hotty gasps, imitating either a woman. He grabbed his breasts, and started squeezing them tight. Tears were welling up in her eyes.

"I said leave her alone!" Andrew repeated, slowly advancing towards Bender.

"You gonna make me?" said Bender, looking up to the letterman, glaring at him, intensely.

"Yeah…"

Bender stepped over the table Claire and I sat at and confronted Andrew. Both of them glared at each other. _Oh god… is this gonna be World War 3 between Andrew and Bender? 'Cause if it is, I'm totally outta here!_

"Guys, don't... do this...!" Claire tried to say.

"You and how many of your friends?" Bender asked him, ignoring Claire's pleas.

"Just me…" said Andrew, as Bender chuckled, "Just _you_ and me! Two hits. Me hitting you, you hitting the floor! Anytime you're ready, pal!"

"No... Y'guys..." Claire whined, begging them to stop. I turned back to see her, and she was already tearing up.

Bender raised a hand onto Andrew, and Andrew instantly retaliated. He tightened his arm to his back and sent him to the ground. I saw Bender trying desperately to get up, but Andrew held him down, firmly, both of them grunting.

"UGH! Stop it!" Claire shouted, standing up, "Just stop it!" She passed my seat, evaded the wrestling duo, and ran off towards the back of the library, tears streaming from her face.

The rest of us: me, Allison and Brian, could do nothing. We just sat there, watching the fight, with Andrew holding Bender down to the ground and keeping him down.

Meanwhile, I looked in the back of the library, and I could see Claire hide herself behind one of the book shelfs. Feeling like she's been through a lot of abuse from Bender, I stand up myself and walk off, avoiding the guys' fight.

"Where are you going?" Brian asked me. I beckoned my head to the back of the library. "Okay." he nodded, understanding me.

I walk off to where Claire went to, the last time I saw her before she hid herself. As soon as I got to the bookshelf where she hid behind, I peered over to see her, sitting on the ground, silently sobbing.

After a couple seconds of seeing her cry, I walked over to see her. "Hey…" I greeted to her.

She looked at me, tears still streaming from her eyes. "Hey…" she said back to me.

I dig into my pocket, to find a tissue. My mom told me to bring tissues in case I were to catch any germs, okay? I handed it over to Claire, who took it gratefully, dabbing her cheeks and eyes with it.

"Thank you…" she said to me, "My mascara is a mess…"

"Please…" I scoffed, "You look good… even if you cry…"

"Thanks… Even if you're lying."

I smirked at her. "I thought that Romeo & Juliet quote would work. I'm more wrong than a sponge."

Claire giggled, "You tried… Those guys can be brutal…" She looked at me, with a short smile on her face, "I did appreciate it." She wiped the remnants of her tears off of her.

"I'm sorry…" I sighed.

"What are you sorry for?" she asked me.

"I should've stood up for you sooner. If I'd known that-"

Claire put her finger on my lips. "It's okay… You didn't know the whole virgin thing was an epidemic."

I take her hand off of me. "True… but the fact that you were the center of attention… and the fact that they're giving you a hard time…"

"You're not wrong on that… I mean, it's not like I'm not some starving kid from Africa."

"Doesn't mean your problems aren't valid." I told her, "It's all normal. I've been there before."

"Thanks," she said, "It does get hard sometimes. It's not fun being a pawn in someone else's game."

"Oh yeah?" I asked her, "I thought you were a queen." Claire smirked at me. For a couple of seconds, we didn't say anything else. Of course, someone has to break the ice. "And hey, maybe Bender looks at you at some certain way."

"Like what?" she asked me, "Whatever it is, I don't really look at him the same."

I gave a playful smirk at her back, "I'm just saying that he _might_ actually have some sort of fling for you…"

"Doubt that…" Claire brushed it off.

I chuckled to myself, "Okay then…"

"What? I don't!"

"I'm just saying… you deserve better…" I told her, "I don't care who it is you might like, but I hope that special certain someone you'll finally meet would treat you better."

"Thanks…" she said.

"And hey, maybe he actually _does_ like you." I said to her, "Either that, or he's actually some psychopath…" I started thinking of what to say next. "Or both…"

Claire chuckled at me. "Maybe…" She gazed at me, appreciatively. I looked at her too with the pleasure of helping her, but I felt like there was something more in that feeling. _Because there's no doubt I MIGHT be feeling it for her..._

"Thank you for coming over to cheer me up." said Claire, "I know we haven't met each other that much… or anything of that, but… I feel like we could be friends."

I smiled at Claire. "Me too… I really hope we can…"

"Thanks again…" she said to me, before she moved closer to me. It was that moment when I felt her wrap her arms around me. And no, none of the other students back at my old school did this to me… ever. Not even the ones that were even CLOSE to being my friends! Feeling a soft, warm hug from someone I could call a close acquaintance of mine at this point, made me feel grateful. _Maybe there's some hope for this school after all… _I put my arms around her, strengthening the hug. We went on like this for seven or so seconds, before each of us pulled back.

"Should… we head back to the others?" I asked her.

Claire looked over from the bookshelf, to see the boys not wrestling each other anymore. "I think it's clear for us now."

Both of us stood up, and headed back to the group, where Andrew and Bender were still confronting each other, and Brian and Allison could only watch.

"Let's end this right now!" Andrew warned Bender, "You don't talk to her, you don't look at her, and you don't even THINK about her!" Bender glared at Andrew, "You understand me?"

"I'm tryin' to help her." Bender said to him.

"Maybe you guys should just cool it." I told them, sternly, "It ain't even about her anymore! It's about you two and your egos as big as your muscles!"

Andrew looked at me, thinking of what I just said to them. Without a word, he nodded to me, and sat back down at his table.

Claire smiled at me, appreciating my effort to silence the fighting duo. She walked back to the table to sit with Andrew.

Bender, though, was still pissed. He glared at me again, taking out a switchblade, switching it open. For a few seconds, I thought he was gonna stab me. But then… "New kid here, tellin' me what the _fuck_ I should do!" He stabbed the switchblade on the first chair, near where Allison sat. Without any words given, Bender strode back to his seat, bumping me along the way. Glaring at him, I headed back to my seat.

As I headed back to my seat, I saw Allison reach over for the switchblade. Even though she was bit two years ago by some rando, I couldn't let her take the knife from her.

"Hey!" I warned her, "Don't!" And I took the knife before she would take it. She gasped, and then she slapped her hands onto mine, trying to grab the knife out of my hands, just as I was trying to walk off with it. "Seriously," I told her, "Do you know illegal this is in schools?" Allison glared at me, grunting to get the knife out of my hands. I could tell that she's thinking to herself, _Screw the rules… I make my own…_ "What are you even planning of doing with this: staging a stabbing incident?! What if-"

Suddenly, the doors open. And most of us gasped at the sight of…

"What's going on in here?!" Vernon yelled at us. He ran over to the chairs, and saw me and Allison, battling over the knife. "Tim! Allison! What do you think you're doing?!"

We were deer in his headlights. We looked at him, with horrified looks on our faces. He glared at us… No doubt one of us is gonna get in trouble with him. Worst case scenario is we get expelled.


	9. The Future Ain't Bright

**10:15 a.m. - Shermer High School - Vernon's Office**

Being in Vernon's office was rather… odd.

I looked around seeing the various stuff he has here. I saw a bunch of files on his shelf. _Wonder if any of our files are in there… _I saw a magnifying glass beside his stapler underneath the shelf. _I really don't want to know… _I saw a White Sox cap on top of his books. _We'll see who gets out of their curse first!_ I even saw a calendar with a hot blonde bombshell as the picture. _He must have a LOT of fantasies…_ I really thought that, since Vernon's the vice principal, and seeing how much of an ass he is to everyone, that he'd have his office be some sort of prison. It felt like anything but, to me. It's like he's trying to make himself look tough, but he can't help but show everyone who enters his office how much of a chump he actually is. It's really laughable if you think about it.

As I looked at a small flip clock on Vernon's desk, which was broken, because the time on it said 12:00, Vernon paced behind it. He was upset. He was ready to give me the horns. Well, actually, he was ready to give _all_ of us the horns! Everyone was in here with me! Practically, we had nothing to say. Even Allison, who sat on my right, was feeling nervous.

"One of you… must tell me…" Vernon said, before shooting straight towards us, "Why there's a knife," he held the knife in question in his hands, "In the library!" He looked down to his desk, thinking to himself. He looked up and continued, "_And_… I expect an explanation, especially, from either one of you!" he pointed towards Allison and I.

The two of us remained quiet. We didn't know to say. We either tell the truth or lie to him. Either way, there's a huge chance that one of us might get expelled, maybe even both of us!

"Speak to me now!" Vernon snapped at us.

"Look, Mr. Vernon," Brian, who was standing behind Allison, "Th-there has to be some mistake here…"

Vernon glared at Brian. "I ain't looking for an excuse from _you_, Mr. Johnson!" he pointed at him, "Your two friends, here, are prime suspects! And I'm pretty sure that they got that knife from Mr. Bender, over here!" he pointed to Bender, who was on my left, rolling his eyes, defiant as always. He looked down at the three of us in front. "Now are you gonna say something or are we gonna play this the hard way?!"

"Mr. Vernon," I said to him, "Brian's right! There's been a mistake! If you're thinking that we're plotting something against the school, you're dead wrong!"

"You and Miss Reynolds both held that knife. I saw it in your cold, dying, mitts!"

I scoffed at Vernon, "Are you _really_ certain that we'd _ever_ try to commit a stabbing here?"

"That's _exactly_ what I think you two are doing!" Vernon pointed to us, before giving us the 'horns' sign, "And I am one-hundred percent positive that Bender, here, is involved in this plan as well!"

Bender chuckled a bit at Vernon, "A smart person would want to get answers out of this instead of jumping to conclusions…"

"Watch your mouth, Bender!" Vernon snapped at him, "One more word outta you and I'll expel all _three_ of you!" He pointed specifically to him, Allison, and I.

"Good god, that's brutal…" I heard Andrew, who was standing behind Bender.

Vernon turned to me and Allison. "Well?" he asked us both, "You got something you want to say to me?"

Allison and I looked at each other, confused on what we should say to him. Either way, it'd be suicide, because he'll go in for the kill anyways.

"Come on!" Vernon beckoned us, impatiently, "You better speak up at some point!"

Still, none of us said a peep. We were frantically thinking of what to say to Vernon, without trying to get a downer outcome, whatsoever.

"You got five seconds to tell me before I expel you two and Bender!" Vernon warned us, "Five… four… three… two… one and a half… one and a quarter… one-"

"Sir, they just found that knife!" Claire, who was standing behind me, exclaimed to him.

"Y-yeah!" said Brian, "They found it from the back of the library, and they didn't know what to do with it!"

"And they were arguing on who should give it to you!" agreed Andrew, "Just to let you know that… someone else left it there."

Bender smirked at Vernon. "You must feel rea-" he said before Andrew placed his arm, covering his mouth, preventing him from speaking.

At that moment, I had an ache in my stomach. I knew that Vernon's the 'What I say goes'-type of guy, and when he says if Bender spoke again, it would lead to him, me, and Allison to get expelled. And I do NOT want to get expelled after starting school at Shermer.

Vernon looked down at me and Allison. "Is that what really happened?" he asked us.

Allison and I were left speechless. We looked at each other, wondering how we should respond to him. We nodded at the same time, simultaneously, trying to get Vernon off our backs.

"Another thing..." Vernon said, still not swayed, "Whose knife does it belong to? Bender?"

"No..." I said, "No it did not belong to Bender." I looked at Bender, and he shook his head too.

Vernon stared at us, and it looked like he was about to believe us all. But he shook his head, still unable to buy it. "I don't believe you…" he said, "If you're _really_ innocent, then why did I hear you," he pointed to me, "Say 'stabbing incident'?"

I was left speechless. I didn't know what to say to him. Neither did Allison.

"That's right…" he said, "I knew you wouldn't have an excuse for what you did! Well guess what?" He backed up and pointed to the three of us. "You guys, as of right now, have just been-"

"Hang on!" said Claire, "If you think there's gonna be a stabbing incident here, because you heard it from Tim's mouth, why didn't you ask them first?"

This gave me an idea. "Yeah! That's right! There's no proof you can validate that Allison and I are planning on staging a stabbing incident here. And that knife you have in your hands," I pointed to the knife in question, "Is the one that both of us found in the back of the library. Don't believe us? We have witnesses!" I pointed to Brian, Claire, and Andrew in back of me with my thumb.

"Exactly!" agreed Andrew, "And we don't know whose knife it belonged to. I mean, maybe it does belong to Bender, but we don't really know..." Bender turned around and leered at the letterman.

Vernon glared at me, stone cold. He turned to look at the knife for a couple of seconds, before turning back to all of us. "Were you _really_, planning on staging a stabbing incident here at this fine school?" he asked us.

"No we weren't." I said to him.

"Did you really find this knife in the back of the library?"

"Yes, we did."

"And are you sure it does NOT belong to Bender?"

"It doesn't..." At this point, I was dreading to get out of the office.

Vernon kept on eyeing us, intently. He had that suspicious look on his face. We thought that he knew we were lying. He had that creepy death stare, the one that would haunt us in our dreams.

"Why's he staring at us like that?" Brian whispered to us, frantically.

"Shhh…" Claire beckoned him to be quiet.

Vernon kept on looking at us. He doesn't trust us at all, and it looks like he'd rather expel us all than understand our lie, er… explanation. Seeing the hate in his eyes, I could tell that he'll never let any of us out alive.

Eventually, he breathed in. We all thought that he was about to explain his final thoughts on what to do with us. But he exhaled, getting us all nervous. It was taking a long time for him to process his thoughts and come up with a final statement for us.

Finally, Vernon said, "Fine… if you guys keep on insisting on it… then you're all safe… for now…" He looked out to his window, covered with blinds, thinking of something else to say. He turned back to us, "But if this turns out to be a-"

"It's _not_ a lie!" I told him.

"Then go…"

"Wha?"

Vernon lunged towards us, pointing to the door, "HAGGA NAGGA! Get outta my sight!" We all jerked back from him. With nothing else to say, Bender, Allison, and I jumped out of our seats and followed Brian, Claire, and Andrew to the doorway, hurrying back to the library.

I turned back to see Vernon, who was still giving us the trademark stone cold glare. _Geez, get a grip on yourself, Dick!_

Andrew held the library door open for everyone, and he shoved me into the entrance. He closed the door, not wanting Vernon to follow after us and criticize us for 'not being quick enough to get out of his sight'.

We all headed back to where we sat at when detention first started, except for Bender, who sat right across from Andrew and Claire. Nevertheless, we were all safe and away from Vernon's suspicion.

"Phew…" said Brian, "That was close!"

"Yeah, and to think Tim, Allison, and John were about to get expelled!" agreed Claire.

Andrew shrugged nonchalantly, "I'd be okay if Bender was expelled…"

We all glared at Andrew, especially Bender, who held his thumb to his throat in a menacing way, and went, "Ckkhhhhhhhh…" as he moved his thumb across his throat.

"Dude, seriously?" I ask him.

"What?" he asked us when he noticed us glaring at him, "That was _his_ knife!"

I rolled my eyes, and started looking up into the ceiling, wondering what I should do now. I look back at everyone. For a few seconds, there was bitter, chilling silence.

"Um… thank you guys… for that." I said at last.

Andrew, Brian, and Claire turn their heads back to me. I gave them a short smile, giving them my gratitude for saving our asses.

"Well, you're welcome." Claire smiled, nodding her head, "You'd be lost without us."

"And kicked to a street curb." agreed Andrew.

Then I notice Brian walking over to my table, holding my essay paper in his hands. "You forgot this." he said as he handed it over to me.

I looked at him, grateful that he, at least, is giving the effort to give it back to me. "Thanks, Brian." I said to him, as I took the paper from him.

_Now I can continue thinking of what I should write down for this… _I thought to myself.

* * *

**10:49 a.m. - Shermer High School - Library**

I had since moved from the table in the back to the table in the middle, where I sat where Bender used to sit. I still worked on my essay. So far, I've written at least another paragraph to add on to my essay. So I'm have like, six-hundred, maybe seven-hundred, words written down. What now? Should I just write down a bunch of random words that come to my head until I get to at least, one-thousand words?

I started tapping the pencil eraser against the edge of my table, just to pass at least a little bit of time until I get out of here. Most of the others are either three-quarters or less away from completing (Brian, Claire, and Andrew), or they haven't even started at all (Allison and Bender).

Suddenly, the library door opens. Our attentions are drawn to a man with a big trash bucket, a mop, and other janitorial accessories. I could clearly see that his hair was thinning. He walked on a ramp, with the accessories clanging and banging against the railing. As soon as he got to the top, he emptied out a smaller trash bin into the bucket.

He turned to us. "Brian, how ya doing?" he greeted the nerd in question.

I saw Bender smirking at Brian. "Your dad work here?" he asked him. This got Brian flustered up. Some of the others giggled at Bender's remark. I thought it was funny, but I knew that it wouldn't be if the person being directed that joke to them thought it wasn't funny.

"Uh, Carl?" Bender asked the janitor, whose name is Carl, as he walked out of the office where he had just got the trash bin to empty it out.

_Wait a minute!_ I think I know him from somewhere! Okay, fine, I saw the name, 'Carl' on his shirt, but he's actually one of the men from the 'Man of the Year' plaque - Carl Reed. _What happened to him? Does he really love this place so much that he doesn't want to leave?_

"Yeah?"

"Can I ask you a question?" Bender asked him.

"Sure."

"How does one become a janitor?"

_I knew the answer to that question, man._ Back at my old school, I've talked to a bunch of janitors and custodians, and they've told me a bunch of stories of how they're excellent cleaners, or how they want to keep the school safe and spotless, and a bunch of other stuff. They've told me that they use most of the money they get on 'Pay Day' to get fresh new supplies so that they don't run out and it becomes an emergency. I've heard a story of when a boy who came to school sick, and he kept throwing up every 30 minutes to an hour. He threw up so much, the janitors could barely keep up with him, and they eventually ran out of supplies to clean up his puke. The rest of us were forced to shelter-in-place for the rest of the day. Still confused on why the boy's parents didn't excuse him from school if they knew he was gonna be sick.

"You wanna be a janitor?" asked Carl.

Bender shook his head. "No, I just wanna know how one becomes a janitor because, _Tim_ here," he pointed to me, "Is very interested in pursuing the a career in the custodial arts…"

"Oh really!" Carl asked, amused.

_I most certainly am NOT, crackpot!_ I glared at Bender.

Carl turned his head to me. "I assume you must be new here, huh?" he asked me.

"Yeah." I said, folding my arms, "Lame because yesterday was my first day."

"I can probably see it in ya…" Carl said. He turned to the rest of us, "Well, when you go out with a bride named Rita Pagliani…" he started telling his story, "You spend your senior year in the back seat of her dad's Buick Electra, pumpin' your ass out, thinkin' you got your life cookin'..."

_Wow… that's… kinda shocking to hear that. _I've heard janitors say they've applied to clean and help out, but this guy's story… _I think I know where this is goin'... and I do NOT think it's gonna be good._

"Then I, uh… make a turn to somebody new, smoke some hash, get busted, blow off the transmission in your old man's car…" Carl kept on rambling his story on what happened, "Keep it up, ya know? Keep up my head up high: banging more fuckin' chicks, and when your heart sings the blues, you go smoke some more! Ya know, you smoke up as much as you want, alright?"

_That's gotta be rough, man… _

"Then when you stop doin' that… you come here, fill out an application on the cleaning faculty personnel, and then, you'll be rackin' in seventy-four green rectangles an hour in _no_ time."

I stare at him. We all stare at him. It's pretty clear that the Carl on the 'Man of the Year' plaque has changed… changed horrendously. It's hard for people to build up greatness in their youth, and then one day it all goes to shit.

Bender turned to me. "Tim?" He called to me, "Thank the man."

I said nothing. No way do I _ever_ want to be a janitor if I end up in a ditch like Carl did…

"You guys think I'm just a lonely janitor, huh?" Carl asked us, with his eyes creepily widened, "Some untouchable peasant, servant, peon, huh?" All of us stared at him, blankly. "Maybe so…"

_What is he even talking about now?_ I thought, suspiciously.

"But following a broom around after shitheads like you for the past eight years, I've learned some things…" I listened to him like a cat focusing their attention on their toys whenever their owner dangles them in their faces. "I look through your letters… I look through your lockers… I listen to your conversations…" This shocked all of us. "You may not know that, but I do…" He points to his eyes and ears. "I am the _eyes_, and _ears_, of this institution, my friends… I know what you are _now_… And I know what you'll be in the future!"

"You do, don't ya?" asked an intrigued Bender.

"Uh huh…" Carl responded. He pointed to Bender, "I know that _you_, Crossbones… got ten years of axe, right?" Bender chuckled. "Drugs, run-down trailer in West Texas… Your whore, bitch wife splits with you… takes the kid with her…" He holds up his two fists. "One fatal dose, kch! Game over!"

Bender was left stunned.

"Dogs eat your parcus before the cops are 'round! They don't even know who you are!" Carl said as Bender smirked, probably doubting the janitor's predictions. "Probably, probably not! Possible episode…" But Bender chuckled, turning his head away.

Carl turned to Brian. "Mr. Wizard!" Brian looked over, smiling at him. "Yeah… lotsa maternal success! Perfect position for business or the law, raking in the dough…"

Brian smiled, thinking that he's gonna get a great future in his life.

"But then… BOOM BOOM BOOM!" Carl said as he punches his chest. "You earn yourself a heart attack before you're thirty-eight years old!" Carl kept on banging his chest, then had his right hand fall down to his left hand, whistling the whole way down.

All Brian could do was look on with shock, and look away, thinking to himself if it could really happen.

Carl looked over to Allison. "_Miss_ Sensitive?" he asked her in a sing-songy voice. Allison paid attention to him, glaring.

"Poetry's in your future!" Carl started, "But nobody'll give a shit of your work…" Carl kept up the smug talk as Allison looked at him, worried, probably thinking if she'll end up like what he's predicting as well.

"Three kids, then you get married, then ya… get a nice wood panel station wagon." He puts his hands in between his shoulders, "And then you're here in the carpool!"

Allison looked at Carl with disbelief, as Carl chuckled, sadistically.

Carl turned to Andrew. "Muscle Butt!" Andrew looked to him. Bender laughed at Carl's insult towards him.

"District sales manager of a golf club manufacture." He puts his hands in golfing position. "Here's Andy!" He swings, and Andy rolls his eyes.

"Twenty-two five a year, shooty little compact car, and that stewardess you marry?" He puts his hands out as if the stewardess might… you know what. "Becomes a box cutter, and that's HUGE!"

Andrew looked away from Carl, slamming his left fist to the ground, annoyed with him.

Carl turned to Claire. At first she tried to look away, but she knew that she was next. She gave a sarcastic smile towards the janitor. "Homecoming Queen…" Carl chuckled, "Six facelifts and two boobjobs by the time you're forty!"

Claire was stunned when he said that, and tried rolling her eyes.

"And a husband who has more girlfriends than you two have anniversaries!" Carl finishes, leaving Claire speechless. All she could do was glare at Carl.

_Geez… I guess 'Man of the Year' is meaningless at this point… _I realized that just because someone won an award when they were young, it doesn't mean they're gonna enjoy a great future. Listening and seeing Carl talk about what our futures might be like is a stark reminder to students like us. In fact, ANYONE: Anything you'll do can and _will_ affect you. It doesn't matter if it's temporary or permanent. Anything you'll do is there and will _always_ be there to help or hurt you. And if it hurts you, well, you might not have anyone to blame but yourself for doing that.

And it seems like Carl is mad at himself for bringing himself all the way to here. It doesn't add anything to the fact that Carl was 'Man of the Year' when he was awarded it the year he was a senior, or junior, or whatever… It's a cruel, sad, reminder of what he used to be. And he's just taking his anger out, or warning, the very people he's talking to: us.

Then Carl turned to me.

_Shit! It's my turn, isn't it?_

"And you…" he pointed to me, "Fresh Meat…" I roll my eyes, because even he knows that since I'm new to this school, he still won't leave me out. He continues, "Care a lot about everyone. Sensitive, sweet… Seem like a strong person… on the outside. On the inside though? Is a small, lost boy… Trying to be a man. Thinking that you're tough, only to realize you're shit…"

I listen to him, intently. I think he's heard that I've been raised in the city, how I've watched people fight each other, but he sees me as a wimp.

"You're with your dream girl and your kid… Suddenly, some goons ambush y'all, and you're the only one who can defend them."

_Oh god… _

"You do your best, ya know? One second, you got the upper hand… Next thing you know…" He has his right hand move at full speed towards his left hand. "BAM!" he exclaims, "You're dead! Not just dead, but they do it again, and again and again and again and again…" He kept on doing the hand movements again and again, faster than the last... Then he blows a raspberry.

My face went white as a ghost. _Aye… Overkill… _Everyone else stares at me, equally shocked. Even Bender thinks that it's too much for me.

"Til you're just… unrecognizable roadkill…"

I gulp to myself, thinking to myself what would happen if it _actually_ happened. My leg muscles tighten from everything he said to me.

"Hey, but what do I know?" Carl asked all of us this time, "_I'm_ just the janitor, huh?" We all remained silent. Just as he was about to leave, he looked at the clock in the back of the library, then at his wristwatch. "By the way, that clock's twenty minutes past…" He leaves, taking his bucket and mop with him. I could hear a couple of light groans from some people.

"Shit…" I heard Andrew mutter.

I look at my watch myself, hesitantly. And I could hardly make out the time to be 10:34. _So I wrote an entire paragraph in nearly fifteen minutes?_ While I was impressed, I still can't believe I have less than five hours and thirty minutes left until I'm free. Ugh…

As soon as the door closed behind Carl, we all looked at each other, one another, concerned of the fates that we'll probably face in the future.

"Is Carl really that serious?" asked Andrew, "Am I gonna end up with a two-ton wife?"

Claire sighed, "I'm gonna look _so_ sad at the age of 40…" I could hear her gulp herself.

Bender chuckled again.

"What are _you_ laughing at?" Andrew asked him. "The fact that you're gonna kill yourself when you lose your redneck wife and kid in the future?"

Bender stopped laughing. "He may be accurate of some events…" Andrew was about to say something, but Bender leaned his head forward. "_Some_ events… I didn't say all…"

"All that great work… and I'm gonna die because…" Brian said to himself. He shuddered to himself before he was about to finish his sentence. Instead, he buried his head underneath his arms.

_Seriously!_ I think to myself, _What's wrong with him?_ But I was still looming over my own future.

"Not to mention," Bender points to Allison, "_Her_ being a bridge in her future."

"Shame that she'd be walked all over…" agreed Claire.

Bender turned to me. "And how about you, Tim?" he asked me, "You think you're gonna be roadkill? All because ya don't _really_ have a spine?"

I didn't say anything. I stare away from everyone, blankly.

"He won't be." argued Claire, "I _hope_ not!"

I ignore everyone, like I don't speak their language.

"I can kinda see it." said Bender, "Carl's predictions may be accurate! I mean, he looks so tough and edgy, but he's such a spineless fool! I wouldn't be surprised if news headlines appear and report his death!"

His words keep on hitting me home. All I'm thinking about is the fact that the possibility of me ending up dead on the side of the road in the future _can_ happen!

Suddenly, I start to twitch.

"T-Tim?" I hear Brian ask me, "Are you okay?"

_What do you think?_ I think to myself. Just then, the twitching became shaking. _What the? What's happening?_ The shaking started to become worse, like I was having a seizure. Then my vision starts to falter. _What's going on here? Why am I like this?_

I hear everyone yell my name. I couldn't see what was happening because my vision was blurring out everything in front of me. _What am I doing now? Someone answer me, NOW!_

Suddenly, I feel someone shaking me, then I feel someone slapping my left cheek. My vision starts to clear up to reveal two figures: Brian and Andrew. Brian was having his hands on my left arm, while Andrew was clutching onto my shoulders.

"Wha?" I asked, delirious, "What happened?"

"You were like, having a seizure or something, man." said Andrew, "What's up with that?"

"I… I don't know…"

"Is it… some kind of condition you have?" Claire asked me, who was out of her chair, her hands on my table.

I shake my head, "Uh-uh..." I utter out.

Bender had his hands beside his head. "What? Carl basically summed up that he was gonna grow up to be a sad sack wimp, gonna end up dead sometime soon. Just puttin' it out there!"

Suddenly, I start to twitch again. My eyesight starts to blur out everything in front of me again. _What's happening to me?_ I start acting like this until I felt rough shaking and three more slaps.

"Snap out of it!" Andrew shouted, worried.

Brian nodded his head. "Seriously!" he said, "Is something wrong?"

Bender rolled his eyes. "All I said was-"

Andrew jerked his head back to Bender. "You know what Bender?" he asked him, "How 'bout you just SHUT UP! Shut up and leave him alone! Better yet, leave us ALL alone!"

Both boys glared at each other, but none of them said another word.

"I-I'm fine guys…" I insisted them, "Really…" I lied. I really wasn't… I stood up from my chair with whatever mobility and structure I had left inside. "I'm just gonna… need to go back to my seat for a little bit…"

Taking my essay off the table, I walked back to my own table, ignoring everyone. I sat back into the seat I originally sat at, taking my glasses off and huddle myself into a ball, holding my legs, looking towards the back of the library.

I still cannot believe what was even happening to me. One second, I was conscious and awake, just like everyone else. The next second, I'm losing it. At this moment, I don't know if I'm fine enough to finish my essay. In fact, I don't even know if I'm fine or not at all…


	10. Have I Done It?

**11:30 a.m. (Yes, it's the CORRECT time) - Shermer High School - Library**

As I calmed down from whatever happened to me earlier, I kept on writing my essay. I have at least seven-hundred or so words written down. I felt like I wrote down at least seven-hundred and fifty words, and I'm less than a quarter from finished. _Hoo boy, I'm gonna be in the homestretch! Hopefully I won't get screwed…_

As I kept on thinking, I heard Bender whistle some kind of song. Listening to that song, the feels felt like it was a marching tone. Hearing it, it felt entertaining, uplifting, and enchanting. _Well, at least it's good for me._

I hear another person whistle to my right; Allison! She's, at least, joining along with someone she wants to join in with.

Then I hear Andrew, Brian, and Claire join along the whistling. At that point, they were all whistling different tones and melodies, which, I felt, made the song more catchy and enjoyable. At least everyone's all enjoying themselves.

There's only one person who isn't joining along - me… I can't whistle… And even if I can, I can only do 'tsssss', 'tsssss'. I wish I could, that way I can join along with the crowd. _Ugh… Why can't I even whistle?!_

Even then, I still thought that the song everyone else was whistling was, at least, entertaining to hear. I hear music everyday, and hearing them whistle a marching tune would satisfy my need to listen to something entertaining.

Everyone kept on whistling the marching tune, and I kept on enjoying the song, despite not even try to whistle.

But then I hear the doors open… _Fuck, it's Vernon…_

Vernon struts back into the library, still glaring at us as a whole. Bender started to whistle something more serious… _I've heard some of it before, it was Beethoven… The Fifth!_

As soon as Vernon stood in front of the table, he waited for Bender to refrain from whistling. Soon… "Alright girls, that's thirty minutes for lunch!" he said, finally.

"Here?" asked Andrew.

"Here." Vernon responded, standing by what he said.

Andrew looked on in disbelief. "Well I think the cafeteria would be a more suitable place for us to eat, sir." he said.

"He's right, you know?" I agreed, "Wouldn't want to get any mess on the carpet here," I leaned my head forward, raising my right eyebrow, "_Right_?"

Vernon glared at us both, still standing by what he said to us about having lunch. "Well I don't care _what_ you think, boys…"

"Dick?" Bender raised his hand, "Excuse me, uh, Rich?" Vernon turned his head to see the delinquent. "Will milk be available for us?"

"We're extremely thirsty, sir." agreed Andrew.

"I have a very low tolerance for dehydration." said Claire.

I rolled my eyes… _She can't be THAT fragile… _I thought, before I wanted to say something out loud.

"I've gone eight hours without drinking…" I said, "How bad can it be?"

Andrew and Claire turned to me. "I've seen her dehydrate." Andrew said, "It's pretty gross…"

"Have you seen the movie E.T.?" Claire asked me. When I nodded, she continued, "And have you seen that sad-looking alien?" I nodded again. "Kinda like that… Just really gross."

I looked at her funny again. I thought to myself again, _Why would you ever think of yourself as E.T. when you go a long time without drinking? ...Oh yeah, she's a rich girl. She wants to be as pretty as possible to NOT have anything bad happen to her face._

"Hey, hey…" Bender said, standing up, "If it's that big of an issue, then _I'll_ go get it!"

"Uh uh uh," Vernon shot him down, pointing to him again, "Grab some wood there!"

Bender grinned at Vernon, wanting to defy him again. _Well aren't YOU something, Bender? Oh yeah, because you kept on egging Vernon into giving you more Saturdays!_

"What do you think, I was born yesterday?" Vernon inquired Bender, "You think I'm gonna have you roam these halls?"

Bender thought about it for a second, before nodding to Vernon. I could tell that he was feigning the 'rule-listening' attitude, the one that mostly the rest of us have, or at least we're forced to, because Dick's just gonna hurl tires at us if we kick his car.

Vernon looked at all of us for a few seconds. "You!" he pointed to Andrew, who looked up at him. He pointed to Claire, wanting to go along with her for the ride, probably just to either get her away from Bender, or just to make out with her. Vernon looked around again, and then… "And you!" he pointed over to the back. Not me… Allison!

Allison ignored Vernon, her head turned away from everyone. We all looked at her, as she was ignoring all of us.

"Hey! What's her name?" asked Vernon, "Come on, wake her, wake her up!" He kept on beckoning her until she finally looked at Vernon. "Come on, on your feet, missy! Let's go! This is no rest home!"

Allison took her bag off of her chair and jumped up from her seat, walking across the rows of tables. As she did, Andrew stood up himself and was bumped by her. Both of them exchanged looks before Allison continued to the entrance.

"There's a soft drink machine in the teacher's lounge. Let's go!" Vernon beckoned them to go.

Andrew walked over to me, holding his hand out. I looked at him, curious, wondering what he's doing. It was that moment I realized that he's asking me for money to pay for the drinks he and Allison will go get. I picked out my wallet from my pocket and gave him two one-dollar bills.

"Come on!" Vernon beckoned Andrew.

Andrew walked over to Brian and Bender, handing his hand out to Brian, asking him for money. Brian took out his wallet and gave him a couple one-dollar bills too.

"Shake your tailfeather! Let's go! Giddy up!" Vernon kept on beckoning Andrew to hurry up.

Meanwhile, Allison was staring at him, leaning towards the librarian's desk.

Andrew turned to Bender, giving his hand out, asking him for money.

Vernon rolled his eyes in disbelief of the long amount of time Andrew's making. "Some people don't even _get _a lunch hour…" he said.

Bender gave out his hand… to Brian, signaling him to give him some money. Brian gave him a high five instead. _Ha… Idiot… Must've interpreted the wrong message._

"Hagga Nagga!" Vernon called.

_Dude, nobody even says that shit anymore! 'Hagga Nagga'... Hagga Nagga my ass!_

Bender gave Brian the serious eyes, demanding for cash. Brian laughed at himself, slapping his face for his stupidity. Reluctantly, he took his wallet out and took out a couple dollar bills, giving them to Andrew. Bender sat back to his table.

"Excuse me, sir." I hear Claire ask Vernon, "Um… can you break this?" She held out something I could make out to be a fifty dollar bill.

Vernon rolled his eyes, scoffing. He reluctantly took her dollar, put it in his pocket, and gave Andrew a couple of one dollar bills from his pocket.

"I just need change…" said Claire.

Again, he rolled his eyes, and then gave Claire what I could make out two twenty dollar bills, a five dollar bill, and two one dollar bills. He pointed to her, "Next time, bring in one dollar bills!"

Andrew pointed out to everyone, "Alright, what do you guys want?" he asked.

He pointed to Brian. "Coke."

He pointed to Claire. "Coke."

He pointed to Bender. "Coke."

He pointed to me. "Not Coke."

Vernon rolled his eyes again, placing his hands on his hips. "Orange soda, I would assume?" he asked me.

I shrugged. I haven't tried orange soda, but I'm assuming that I might enjoy it more than coke.

Vernon turned to Andrew and Allison, who were already at the entrance, "Get going! What are you two still doing here? Go!" Andrew and Allison took off, opening and shutting the library door on the way out.

Vernon turned to us four, gave us the death stare, and walked out of the library, shutting the door behind him. _What a dick!_

* * *

**11:38 a.m. - Shermer High School - Library**

With Andrew and Allison both out getting us drinks, we were all patiently waiting for them to come back. _Yawn… _

Bender sat on top of my table, where I sat. Brian sat on the railings. Both of them were watching Claire, who was leaning on the sculpture. She rolled over towards us.

"Hey Claire." I hear Bender, who is holding a picture of a man with enlarged genitals, ask the girl in question, "You wanna see a picture of a guy with elephantiasis of the nuts? It's pretty tasty…"

I instantly thought, _Is that even possible to have that?_

"No thank you…" murmured Claire, as she started filing her nails, trying not to pay attention to him.

"How do you think he rides a bike?" Bender asked.

"How do you think he sits everyday?!" I ask him.

Bender ignored me. I kept thinking to myself,_ Geez, having an enlargement of abnormal tissues invade your private area has to be a struggle to live with every single day, until one were to get it out of their system. I mean, good god, that sounds like it's a pain to live with everyday!_

Claire rolled her eyes, sighing, disgusted with Bender's disgusting attitude, especially towards her. She turned away from us, not wanting to hear any more of anything from him.

"Oh I've seen that one!" Brian pointed out to the picture.

"Claire, would you ever consider dating a guy like this?" Bender asked her again, pointing to the man with the enlarged genitals.

"Can't you just leave me alone?!" asked Claire, exasperated, still busy filing her nails.

Bender still did not budge. "I mean if he had a great personality, and was a great dancer, and had a cool car… although you'd probably have to ride in the backseat because his _nuts_ would ride shotgun."

Claire turned away from us again, still disgusted. "Do you know what I wish I was doing?" she sighed.

_I know what I wish I was doing! _I thought to myself. _I wish I could turn back time and prevent myself from ever getting detention! _I mean, this conversation is just making me feel tingles in my spine.

"Op, watch what you say!" Bender warned her, "_Brian_ here is a cherry."

Brian turned to Bender. He stared at him for a couple of seconds, studying what the word 'cherry' meant. "A cherry?" he asked him, incredulously.

"I wish I was on a plane… to France." murmured Claire.

"I'm not a cherry…" Brian murmured to Bender.

Bender turned to me. "How 'bout you Tim?" he asked me, "You wishin' for something, like her tongue?" he points to Claire, "Or are you a cherry like Brian?"

"John!" Brian whined, annoyed.

"Does it matter, man?" I ask him, equally annoyed.

Bender leaned his head towards me. "I mean if there a black hole that would appear out of nowhere if you didn't answer right now, then yes, it would matter." I stared at him in disbelief.

_Like hell there will be a black hole that'll show up!_ I think to myself. All this sex talk is making me remind me of something that happened… a while back… when I was back at my old school... But it's not like I should tell it to Bender, or anyone else...

"Come on now, Tim!" Bender beckoned me, "You feelin' frisky for a date or what?" I still said nothing. Then Bender leaned in to me even closer. "Or are you _afraid_ of frisky business?"

I've heard enough. "I'm out of here." I said, standing up and started towards a different area of the library, except…

"No, Tim, don't leave…" I hear Claire say to me.

I stop myself from walking and turn back to see her, her eyes looking at me, but her head not fully turned to me. "Just... just ignore John, and it'll be okay..."

_It'll be hard for me, in fact all of us, 'cause he'll just keep on talking to everyone!_

Brian turned towards me, fidgeting his hands, trying not to look at a smirking Bender, "Uh... y-yeah! It's fine, Tim." he said, "Totally fine! It's just him being, a-a jerk. Your average everyday jerk. That's all."

I stood facing the trio. I wasn't gonna sit with them (so that I would be heckled and annoyed by Bender), so I just stood there, not moving.

Bender turned to Brian. "When have you ever gotten laid, homeboy?" he asked him.

"I've been laid lots of times." the nerd stated.

_That's a lie._ I thought. I knew he was just saying that just to keep Bender off his back.

"Name _one_!" Bender bargained, hungry for the answers.

Brian thought for a moment. _Are you gonna make another lie, Bri? _He looked around a little bit, before quickly turning to Claire. _What? What did you look at her for? Support?_

He finally came up with an answer, "You wouldn't know her."

"Why?"

"She lives in Canada." Brian said, "Met her in Niagara Falls."

_Fake! _I thought, _I've heard that stupid excuse from my old classmates. _I once asked a girl I had a crush on out to a school dance, and she rejected me. She claimed to have a boyfriend who lived on the Canadian shores of Lake St. Clair, near Detroit, and that he was taking her. Guess what? That boyfriend was nonexistent and she was dancing with her girlfriends. Not only that, but she told me she would rather be just friends with me. I. HATED. being friendzoned. It felt so depressing, and I felt like I never had any good times with anyone. As a matter of fact, after I asked her out, we NEVER talked ever again! Fuckin' bitch… No way… Fuckin' CUNT, is more like it. I'm sorry, I know I'm not supposed to say that, since it's way worse than the word 'fuck', but that's how I described her, because I felt like I free bird when I told her I wanted to go out with her, and then when my dreams were dashed because of that so-called boyfriend from Canada, I felt like I was trashed out. Part of me is glad to be out of the North Side, because apart from my dad, everyone I've encountered is either a douchebag, or doesn't really care about me. Then I remember my dad telling me to be relieved that I am from the North Side, since I've heard of even worse events down in the South Side! _I'll remember that… Thank you…_

"Ever laid anyone around here?" asked Bender, still begging for more than just a 'girlfriend from Canada'.

Brian shushed the two of us and looked at Claire for a few seconds. He silently pointed over to her. Claire did not even acknowledge us in the slightest.

"What are you looking at Claire for?" asked Bender.

Brian shushed him again. Bender and I looked over to the girl in question and we had both realized that a geek like him has gone for it with a popular preppy girl.

"Ooooh…" Bender said, intrigued, "You and Claire, did it!"

_Geez… maybe nerds and popular kids DO know each other greatly here. _I thought to myself because to be honest, I have heard a lot about students having separate social groups and social statuses. I've seen them distance themselves from every other social group in the school. The preps are the most popular group of students in all of the student body. The jocks are the second most popular group of students, but I speculated that they are popular because the preps hang out with them a lot. Then there are the nerds, whose social status is half and half, depending on whose social status is; they could be great geniuses who have a ton of As in all of their classes, or they could be the nerdy folk, who spend more time gawking towards the more popular bodies of students without their knowledge on the sidelines. Then there are the rebels, who are also half and half, but they tend to be leaning towards the negative side, mainly because of how much destruction they would cause in their paths. Then there's all of the above: the activists, the music lovers, the foreigners, etc., whom they are less known or popular by everyone they reach.

I tend to dislike these types of what I would call, cliches, because no one seems to acknowledge the other side, and if they do, then it would come off as negative. I'm tired of the preps ignoring the rebels, or the jocks picking on the nerds, or the preps and jocks making whoopee, etc. I also hate it when everyone is fine. I know, not a lot of people have similarities in what they enjoy daily, but it would never hurt just to branch out, because maybe some people actually HAVE things in common with each other. Maybe a jock and a nerd like carnivals, or a prep and a foreign exchange student like video games.

For me, I just want to be my own person. I am no jock, or prep, or anyone in particular. However, no one back at my old school could give a shit about me at all. Like I said before, they either say hi to me and nothing else (no 'How is your day?', or 'What did you do?', or 'What's your favorite this or that?' or anything at all), or they would just ignore me altogether. I even try to start conversations, by saying something friendly to them, but they just brush it off or snub me away from them. That makes me feel like I'm literally nothing to anybody. Even when I'm partnered up with some people for a random assignment, we just talk about a project, or two or three other students I am partnered up with only talk amongst themselves and don't even acknowledge me (unless it's about the project we are working on), and I'm the only one trying to make an effort to befriend them, and they ignore me altogether. Is there something wrong with me, and I'm not seeing it? Nobody could give me an answer… It's like I don't even count or anything.

There are often times I would have someone I would consider a friend at my old school. They could be a nerd, or a prep, or anybody. However, they would slowly dive back into the cliche they came from and leave me to the wind.

The fact that not everyone cares about me hurts me.

I'm sorry if I'm going off topic on this, but this is just me expressing my shock that a nerd and a prep would EVER do it. Nobody at my old school would branch out from their own cliches and do anything together. Not even I could do any activity with someone else. And even if there was someone else who was eager to do something with anyone at all, I would get rejected if I make the effort to even volunteer to tag along with them. But hey, at least with these guys, I'm at least contributing in a couple of conversations, and they at least know I am here too, rather than the Invisible Man. I actually feel content with being around strangers like them. I know I was hostile towards them at first, but it was only because I was in defensive mode. I'm not fully used to being here outside of the city… yet.

"What are you talking about?" Claire sat up, incredulous about the conversation.

Brian was flushing red, embarrassed. "Nothing, nothing…" he tried to say to her. "Let's just drop it, we'll talk about it later!" he tried to say to Bender.

"No!" Claire demanded, "Drop what?! What are you talking about?!"

"Well Brian's trying to tell me that in addition to the _number_ of girls in the Niagara Falls area, that presently you and he are riding the hobby horse!"

Claire glared over to Brian. "Little pig!" she retorted.

"No I'm not!" Brian said, defensive, "I'm no- John said that I was a cherry and I said I wasn't, that's all that was said!"

I knew that Brian was getting picked on. _It's gonna be the prep and rebel vs. the nerd… _"Okay, let's all just drop it." I tried to defuse the situation, "Can we please just stop this?"

"Well then what were you motioning to Claire for?" Bender asked Brian, ignoring my pleas to stop them.

"You know, I don't appreciate this very much, Brian." Claire sternly said.

"He is lying!" Brian argued, pointing to Bender. He turned to me. "Tim, back me up!"

"Guys, please…" I tried to tell them, still wanting to get rid of all this talk myself. Whatever was in my head, I could not get a hold to get it out. I'm actually surprised it didn't show up when Bender was egging Claire for being a virgin earlier. But then I remembered that it was because I didn't know that being a virgin was normally a bad thing for people.

But Claire shot a look at me and said, "Don't even think of getting involved in this, Tim..." she said to me.

"Oh… you weren't motioning to Claire?" Bender asked again, also ignoring me.

_God, this conversation is getting too complicated... _

Brian looked at Bender, with a look as if he wants him to shut up and forget about the conversation altogether. It was no use, because we were all here to hear this. "You know he's lying, right?" He asked Claire.

Claire shook her head, giving a look of doubt.

"Were you or were you _not_ motioning to Claire?!" Bender repeated his question, starting to get ticked off from the lack of clarification.

Brian looked down, feeling outnumbered- well, only two of them were against one. I was just hanging around, observing the whole thing, not trying to get involved in the slightest, just what Claire advised me.

Brian, reluctant, said, "Yeah, but it was only… was only because I didn't want her to know that I was a virgin, okay?"

We all stared at Brian, shocked that he would go deep lengths to reveal that he was a virgin.

"Excuse me for being a virgin." Brian told Bender, "I'm sorry…"

"Well, don't be sorry." Claire laughed, walking over to my table and sitting on the edge, "Why didn't you want me to know you were a virgin?"

"Because it's personal business! It's _my_ personal, private business!" said Brian.

Bender shook his head, "Well Brian, it doesn't sound like you're doing any business…"

Claire looked at Bender, doubting his answer to Brian. "I think it's okay for a guy to be a virgin." she said to Brian.

Bender turns to Claire, surprised that she would even say that.

"No you don't…" said Brian.

"I do too!"

"You do?" Brian asked, surprised himself. I guess at that rate, he'll be buddy-buddy with her.

Claire just smiled and nodded.

_Okay, now I feel like an oddball here…_

Between Claire, Brian, and, supposedly, Bender being virgins, and all being openly content talking about it (maybe not so much of Bender), it looked like I was the odd one out.

I slowly started making steps to get away from the trio and steer clear from whatever conversation pops up about them 'being a virgin or what not', because for all I know, they might have something against people who actually HAVE done it!

As I made my sixth step away from the group, I hear someone say, "And what say you?"

_God dammit, Bender… Why are you always like this, is what I want to know!_

I stop short, and I worry that they might laugh at me when I reveal something to them that I would not even tell my parents…

"Why are you runnin' away from us?" asked Bender, "You haven't done it either?"

"It's okay, Tim." said Brian, "We're all okay with people being virgins!"

I shiver to myself, before shaking my head. I held back tears because this was all too embarrassing for me to even reveal to anyone, but I did not want them to see me cry.

"I'm not a virgin…" I sigh.

For a couple of seconds, there was utter silence. _I knew it! I knew that they would find the fact of me not being a virgin a bad thing! Fuck my life and back… _

"What do you mean… you're not a virgin?" I hear Bender ask me.

I slowly turn my head around and acknowledge them. At that point, all I could remember was that North Avenue Beach Party I attended last summer… It was the first and only time I had ever gotten laid. I remembered how tall, blonde, and bodacious she was… But I also remembered how old she was when I did it with her.

"Once… I attended a party south near where I lived…" I said to them, "There were a bunch of girls…" I lightly gulped to myself, "She was 21… She and I made small talk…" I started fidgeting to myself, seeing how I was the center of attention, "Eventually, we kissed… mouth to mouth… and… boobs pressed upon…" I sighed to myself again, "And it felt pretty… delicious…"

"That true?" Bender asked me. I nodded.

The trio stared at me, shocked at how I did. The truth was, I WAS at that beach party, and I met that girl and a couple of her friends while I was snacking on some hors d'oeuvres. She was practically the leader of her 'clan'. She and I had a long conversation, talking about our lives at home, and talking about how we were. It was totally weird because back then, only a few people have even talked to me. That girl, she was extremely popular amongst her social group and fellow classmates. Nobody at my old school that popular would ever do that to someone who was less popular than they were. Next thing that happened at the beach was she started smooching me all around, before we started getting felt up. And after that, we started to press our lips against each other. And by god… it felt awesome! At that very moment, I felt like I was gonna get a girlfriend! I felt like I was scoring big! Of course, I couldn't stay at the party for long, and I had to leave. When I bid the girl farewell, she was informed by her other friends that there was 'another party at the campus'. And I was shocked. I didn't know what they meant by that. But when she happily agreed that they were going back to DePaul for the party, I immediately realized that she was actually several years older than me; a senior in college! I wore the 'Oh fuck' face and I sprinted as far as I could away from that girl before she could say anything else to me. Admittedly, I regretted running away from her, but I also regretted doing it with her, no matter how awesome it felt. I had the strangest, but unshakable feeling that she might eventually find out that I was a minor, and someone would report her to the police, where she might go to jail for having sex with one, which would lead on to her coming out of jail, and confronting me. I have no idea what she'll do to me... I thought to myself that she thought I was a college student. But hey, how would someone react when I thought that girl was a high school student?! I'm just glad that I never did anything further into it.

I'm going off-topic again, aren't I? Sorry, I'll try and stop.

But I saw all three of them smile at me. "You really must've had fun with her, no?" Bender asked me, "And she was 21 when you met her?!"

"Yeah…" I said, "Didn't know she attended DePaul…"

"That must've been wild." said Claire, "It's no problem having sex with someone… even if, um… she was older than you."

"Admit it, Tim." said Bender, "You thought that we were gonna put you down for actually doing it."

I gave out a sigh, "Well, it's not just that… It's just that… um… I've never told anyone about it… And you guys… You're the only ones that know now…" I slowly walked back to them, "I thought that if I ever told someone that I laid up with an older girl, a _college_ girl… then, I'd be made fun of."

"You kidding?" asked Brian, "That must've been a great opportunity for ya. Getting laid by someone who was older than you… damn, you must've felt like you were on top of the world!" I smirked at Brian.

"It's good to know that at least one of us actually did it." Claire flashed a smile towards me.

"Although, I can't get over the fact that she's much older than you are!" Brian pointed out, giggling.

We all laughed about it. And at that moment, I actually felt happy. Not only did I reveal something that I couldn't get off my chest, which kept on bugging me since I first done it (Like I said before, anything you do, temporary or permanent, will always be there to remind what you've done in your life), but I also had appreciation that a couple of other students, who were virgins, were glad to hear that I actually did it. And just because I was the odd man out of the bunch doesn't mean that I am totally an outcast to the majority. And it looked like I was starting to become friends with these guys - Claire, Brian, maybe Bender…

All I know was that I was glad to have gotten that gut feeling out of my system before it could do anything else to me. _Thank god…_

"Nice conversation we're having…" I heard a dark, feminine voice say to us.

We all turn to see Allison and Andrew, with Andrew holding three cans of coke, and Allison holding two coke cans and one orange soda can.

But we were more surprised with the fact that Allison said actual words to us! Before that, she had either made squeaks or said 'HA!' like a madman.

Although we were speechless and didn't have anything to say, we all looked at each other, assuming that right now, it was time to eat lunch._ Man, I'm starving... _


	11. Don't Call Us the Lunch Bunch

**11:46 a.m. - Shermer High School - Library**

Lunch had just started for all of us. We all had our lunch boxes/bags out… well almost everyone…

Bender didn't bring a lunch with him. _Gee, wonder what the fuck is up with him… Does he have some kind of iron stomach or something?_

I sat at the second table in the first row, right next to Claire and Andrew. I took out my paper lunch bag from my backpack, where I started digging into it until I took out an egg sandwich, a bag of chips, carrots, and an apple. Also with me, I had my orange soda can, just what I asked, or just what Vernon suggested to me… Whatever… It's just better than drinking Coke.

Bender bounced from his table to the table up in front, sitting right in between Claire and Andrew. He especially studied Claire's lunch. She had some sort of shopping bag in front of her.

"What's in there?" Bender asked her.

"Guess…" Claire turned to the burnout, taking out accessories of what looked like it was made of bamboo, before looking around at his table, "Where's your lunch?"

Bender gave out a smirk. "You're wearing it!"

_Welp, looks like Bender's back to his predator ways again! Ugh… And we have less than four and a half hours until we're outta here._

Claire glared at Bender for a second. "You're nauseating…" She turned back to her bag to take the rest of her stuff out of it.

Bender still had his ever-present smirk attached on his face gazing towards her, before turning to take one of the soda cans placed in front of him, turning towards the direction of Allison, and chucking it at her direction.

Allison was in the middle of taking her lunch out of a rock band-type box. It was surprising enough to see Allison catch it! Why? Because she caught it without even looking! _If she wasn't even planning on being an artist or something, then she should start planning on being a baseball catcher! She could catch balls without even looking, regardless if they're in home base or not._

I looked over to Claire, and I saw that she had taken out a platter full of… rolled-up food? She opened the lid, and poured some dark kind of sauce into one of her dipping bins. Soy sauce?

"What's that?" asked Bender, still studying Claire's lunch.

Claire turned back to Bender, a smile on her face like he doesn't even know what it even is. "Sushi…"

"Sushi?" the burnout asked, incredulously.

_Is that even legal to have?_

Claire giggled a bit. "Rice, uh, raw fish, and seaweed…" She held up some chopsticks.

Meanwhile, Brian and Andrew looked at Bender, especially Andrew, who shook his head, still aware that Bender is still going after Claire.

Bender looked around, confused, and a little disgusted, "You won't accept a guy's tongue in your mouth, but you're gonna eat _that_?"

"Can I eat?"

"I don't know…" said a revolted Bender, "Give it a try."

_I'm sorry, to answer your question Claire, yes, yes you may. I'll build a brick wall for you while you eat. _

Claire turned back to take a bite from one of her pieces of sushi. However, she, Bender, Brian and I saw Andrew take out a lot of food from his 'Happy Foods' bag. He took out a family-sized bag of chips. Then he took out a sandwich. And another sandwich. And another. And then he took out a bag of cookies. And then he took out a giant carton of milk.

_God, how much food does he even have?! It looks like he brought himself half the pantry with him! Does he need to eat THAT much?!_

Just when we all thought he was finished taking all his food out from his bag, he looked in it again, where took out a banana and an apple. That was it. We all stared at him like he was gonna eat until he implodes.

He looked around and saw us all staring at him. "What's _your_ problem?" he asked us, annoyed.

"That's… a lot of food ya got there…" I said, awkwardly, trying not to have him land a finishing move on top of me.

Andrew looked up to me. "Hey, I'm just trying to keep up with my weight." he said, "My dad and coach tell me I've gotta be strong and act strong. That means…" he holds up his milk gallon and one of his sandwiches, "I gotta _eat_ strong!" I saw a smile stretch across his face.

I looked away, not wanting to ask more on why he's trying to 'pack it in'.

But then I hear the sound of someone slurping their drink. I turned around to see where the source of the slurping was coming from. Well who were to thought? It was none other than Allison, who was slurping her coke drink. Brian and I looked at each other, agitated with the way she drinks her soda.

If that weren't enough, it gets more disgusting. Much more disgusting… Allison, revolted with her sandwich, tosses the meat away. Interesting enough, the meat had just landed on top of the sculpture behind her. _Good girl… _Too bad the meat stayed sticking on it before it fell back to the ground.

Allison took out some pixie stix from her box, pouring it _all_ onto her sandwich, eating some of it along the way, as well as drinking her coke.

_Okay, does she think sugar is meth?_

Then she put the pixie stix in her coke to, presumably, use them as straws, and then took out a bag of… Cap'n Crunch?

At first she just took out a handful of Crunch onto her sandwich. Then she took out another handful, and then started to… _Oh god… _She started to smash both of her bread pieces together to make… one loud, sugary, crunchy, cavity-inducing masterpiece… _Hoo-rah…_

Allison lifted her whatever the fuck it's called, opened her mouth, and then…

**CRUNCH!**

We could all hear the crunching sounds. I'm guessing that she does this a ton. She probably doesn't give a shit if she gets a cavity or something. I guess all she cares about is the quality and texture of her 'sandwich'. Nonetheless, we all turned our heads, trying to ignore as much of her crunching as humanly possible.

Bender jumped up from his seat and sauntered over to where Brian sat at, sitting on the left to where Brian sat at. He snagged his lunch bag and exchanged it for a can of Coke.

Wondering of a conversation start-up, he turned to Brian and asked, "What are we having?"

"Uh, it's your standard, regular lunch, I guess…" said Brian, who felt awkward being around Bender.

_I thought you were okay with your virgin talk, Brian! _

Bender turned and placed his hand into the bag. He brought out some kind of… thermos.

"Milk?"

"Soup."

Bender turned around and placed his hand into the bag again. Brian tried to reach out and grab the bag away from Bender, only for Bender to catch his hand and slap it away from him. _Fair_ _to say he's not done with checking out what his lunch is like…_

Eventually, the burnout found a box of…

"Uh, that's apple juice." said Brian.

"I can read…" retorted Bender.

I could see Andrew and Claire look over quickly to see Bender take out a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with… "PB & J with the crusts cut off…" Bender turned to Brian, "Well Brian, this is a very nutritious lunch, and all of the food groups represented!"

_Sounds like mama's made him a good ol' lunch!_

"Your mom marry Mr. Rogers?" asked Bender. I chuckled to myself when he said that.

"No, Mr. Johnson." Brian responded.

"Hah…"

Bender scoped around a little more in Brian's bag. Eventually he felt something, and could eventually make it out to be a piece of paper that had been folded.

"Did you put your essay in there?" I joked around. I heard Claire and Andrew chuckle at my joke.

Brian looked at me, embarrassed. "I-it's, uh… complicated…"

Bender flipped open the letter. He read it out loud, "'_Dear Brian, this is your lunch that I have made for you, just how you like it. As your dear mother, I've always loved to make your day bright and full of nutrients, so that you can venture for new facts to study about_.'"

_Geez… I never knew that Brian was a mothers' angel… But, he's not really like that on the outside or anything._

I saw Brian, whose cheeks were rosy red. I could tell that he was feeling uptight with Bender reading the letter his mother hid in his lunch bag.

Bender still continued to read the letter, "'_However, because you have landed yourself here in Saturday detention, I expect you to use that time to continue learning and finding facts that you should remember for when you graduate and head for college! There are loads of colleges out there that you should apply for eventually, and if anything happens to my baby boy, then I'd be crushed! Please continue to use the time to learn new facts! And please enjoy this yummy lunch I have provided for you, as it can continue the process of brightening your brain! Love, Mother._'"

At that point, Brian was ready to lose it.

"Okay Bender." I admonished towards him, "I think you've done enough…" Bender turned his head towards me, deadpanning towards me. "Maybe you should just leave him be and let him eat his lunch." But I knew that he wasn't gonna back down on picking on a nerd.

Bender turned his head to Brian, having a slight glare on his face. "Here's MY impression, of LIFE, at Big Bri's house!" He stood up from Brian's table and walked all the way to the back row of tables.

We all (yes, including Allison) paid attention to what he was about to do.

Bender whipped his hair to his back, put his left hand up near his mouth, and started, "Son!"

Bender turned to his right, poking both of his cheeks, "Yeah dad?" he responded, in a voice that sounded a little bit like Brian's.

"How's your day, pal?" he said, putting his left hand up again.

"Great, dad! How's yours?" he said, poking his cheeks again.

Pretty soon, he kept on doing this every time he impersonated Brian's paps, and Brian. Most of us started to find Bender's antics funny. Yeah, including me, because I know it's something I shouldn't laugh about in front of him, but I just can't help myself or anything. None of us can. Poor Brian is being the brunt of the force that's being pushed against him.

"Super! Say son, how'd you like to go fishing this weekend?" He held out his right fist and threw it out as if it were a fishing rod.

"Great dad! But I've got a lot of homework to do…"

"That's alright son! You can do it _on _the boat!"

"Geeeee!"

And then Bender started to speak softly "Dear… isn't our son swell?"

Bender turned his head and made yet another impression. "Yes dear… isn't _life_ swell?"

Next thing I saw was Bender saying, "Oooh!", impersonating both parents, while swinging and kissing each other. _Hahaha… so freakin' funny… _

He kept on doing this a bunch of times until he turned his head towards us, with a freaky grimace plastered on his face, and then… "BCCCH!" he jabbed 'the mother' with his left fist. _Way to make this one-hundred percent less funny, man._

I was probably wondering if this is what his 'swell life' is like as well. But what do I know? I've never been to Brian's fucking home.

"You're wrong." murmured Brian.

"Then what _is _it like?" asked Bender.

Brian didn't say anything. He was fidgeting with his hands like he was trying to pray to God.

"Ya leavin' us in suspense, buddy!" Bender egged, "Wanna tell us what's _really_ going on?"

Brian looked at his can of unopened Coke. Whatever he was doing, he wasn't giving us any vital signs of what is going on… This was leaving all of us in suspense. We just couldn't tell what he was-

"Brian, can you hear me?!"

Suddenly, everyone else turns to see the source of who made that noise. It was Brian himself! Brian just imitated what sounded like his mother's voice. But the tone of that voice sounded naggy and gross, unlike how Bender imitated her.

"Brian, get your butt down here!" he still said in his mother's voice.

_Does she really sound like a naggy negative Nancy? Because that's the last thing I'd want my own mother to be… _

Nevertheless, we all stared at him, listening to his 'self-conversation', as he looked down towards his genitals. "Young man, I know you can hear me from up there!" he imitated once more.

There was a quick pause. Needless to say, it's remarkable to hear him sound off a version of his own, describing what his family is like at his house.

"Brian Timothy Johnson, get down here!"

_My god, middle name! And his middle name is Timothy… What a shocker…_

"Your father's home!" Brian yelled once again. He lifted up his head, "I said your father's home!" On his face, he had a creepy, soul-eating glare.

I tried scooting away from his creepy glare. _Who are you and what have you done with Happy Brian?!_ I thought, _I want Happy Brian here, not Creepily Pissed Off Brian! _But I remembered that Brian was still imitating his mother, and by the looks of his creepy glare, I could tell that this is the trademark face she makes towards him when he's at home.

But then Brian gasped. He started to think for a minute. At this moment, I don't know what he's really doing at this point.

_Hey, Bri? You okay buddy?_ I thought. I wanted to say it out loud, but before I could actually say it out loud, he turns towards the sculpture in the back for a couple of seconds. Then he stood up, looked at it for a couple of seconds, and then slowly advanced towards it.

As soon as he got towards it, he abruptly stopped in front and yelled, "Don't touch!" and went into jumping jack position. He shook his ass too.

Brian looked up at the head of the sculpture. He started considering his options, before jumping down into downward dog position, and started bowing towards it like the sculpture was his master.

_Oh my god… is he acting out his relationship between him and his dad now?!_

Brian, still in downward dock position, still looked up to him, like he was actually a dog staring at his owner. He stood up, put his left hand on the sculpture, and started to think again. It looked like as if Brian was about to climb up the sculpture, like he was gonna be the next King Kong, until I realized that it _might_ fall down and crush him. Vernon would come barging in, asking what the hell happened here, examine the fallen sculpture and probably Brian's crushed body, and would blame us for not preventing him from climbing up the sculpture. At least that's what I'm thinking of.

But Brian just walked off. I'm guessing that's probably his entire act. Or he's been wanting to climb up that sculpture, but he backed out at the last second, thinking of, possibly, the same thing I was just thinking about.

As Brian headed back to his seat, he said, "Dad works a lot." He sat down at his seat, shuffling, looking down at himself again.

I might've pieced the puzzle together from how Brian is at his house. His father is busy at work, therefore doesn't have any time or concern to worry about his son, which could be a reason why Brian practically worships him and wants him around more often! Perhaps he wants to make some bonding time with him. Meanwhile, with his mother at home, his life is worse because she's constantly nagging her ass off towards him, and making his life completely hellish. I can't physically throw up in my mouth of the thought of how much weight Brian is given at home, considering how his mother is a nag and his father, whom he wants to spend more time with, is out of the house, unable to make a connection of what sort with the poor guy. But if I did, I'd be blowing chunks all over something Brian's mom would own, for weighing down on him.

It's sad to see that Brian's being shat on at his home. I know I just met him (in detention), but I suspected him to be the normally a curious, happy-go-lucky, virgin, nerd. It's heinous to hear that a brain like him is getting weighed down, especially when it's not just a bigger, scarier-looking student ready to pummel him to bits.

"Check this out." I hear Claire say to everyone.

We turn to see Claire take out something from her bag. She took out… a page. "It's my father…"

You know, after hearing Bender read out loud Brian's mother's note she gave to her son, I just don't want to hear any more notes from their parents. But because I'm stuck here for the next four hours…

"'Hi dad!'" I hear her say, covering her face with the paper.

"'Hi honey. I love you, my wallet's in the dresser.'" she said as her father.

_Wait a minute! Did she tear that page from her diary? _I think of that because she's sounding like she just scripted the entire thing as if it were actually real! She must've recorded it after a conversation with him.

Claire put her paper down, and had a clueless look on her face, "'Uh, dad?'" she asked as herself, "'Is it okay if I go out with my friends tonight?'" She had a sly smirk on her face, before looking up at her paper.

"'Oh sure, honey!" she said as her father, "Whatever makes you happy!'"

_Ick… Daddy's little angel gets what she wants…_ I thought sarcastically.

Then Claire had a pouty face when she took her page down. "'George, have you even seen her the past couple of times she's gone with her friends? She's showed up wasted the last few times.'" She said as, I suppose, is her mother.

"'Oh, you know, she's just trying to make herself feel good.'" she said as her father, who, I suppose, his name is George.

"'But she's hanging with them a lot of times! Besides, aren't you planning on saving that kind of money to be a horse jockey?'" she asked as her mother.

She holds up the paper again. "'Oh nevermind, I've decided not to be a jockey after all…'" she said as her father, shrugging it off as if it weren't even a big deal at all.

"'George! Y'know, _what_ about our trip to St. Maarten?!'" she asked as her mother, clearly acting as if her mother, desperately, wants things to be done her way.

"'Go by yourself!" she said as her father, as if the father isn't caring about her concerns whatsoever.

"'With pleasure!'" she acted as her mother yet again, "'And I'm taking Claire!'"

Claire shook her head as her father, "'Yeah, over my dead body you are!'" She threw her paper away and looked at us. At first, didn't know what that meant, because we thought there was going to be more. A few seconds went by, she finally spoke to us, "And that's kinda the end of that story from the Standish household."

"Really?" I ask her.

She turned to me. "I left the house before I could hear more." she said.

As if Carl describing his shitty life and portraying our futures isn't enough, now hearing all of these stories about home? God, I mean, my parents have problems themselves. But it's shocking to see all the others talk about their own experiences. Looks like Brian's not the happy-go-lucky nerd I thought he'd be. And Claire? She's still a rich girl, but that doesn't mean that she's great. She can be pampered and pretty, but she's in the thick of the heat between her parents. In a way, she's proving a point about her parents and the whole 'monster deal' at her house. Any minute, they would divorce, and Claire's life would be even more in the heat than usual. Probably in the mantle, let alone the core…

Then I hear Bender crying. _What the fuck dude? Did that REALLY hit you hard in your shell?_ I was wrong. He was faking it, acting like Claire as if he was in the thick of this whole family freakout… Claire just rolled her eyes at him, as usual.

Bender turned to Andrew. "Alright. Your turn big shot!"

Andrew looked at Bender. "What?"

"What's _your _life like?" he asked, "I think we must be dying to hear it!"

Andrew shook his head and looked away from him. "I'll pass on that..." he murmured.

"What?" asked Bender, "Are you an orphan? Is it the foster home business you're having?"

Andrew shot an angry look at Bender, "No! I don't want to talk about my life at home!"

"Why not?" I ask him, curious, "It's not like there's a spy here that's gonna rag on you to your parents." Now I want to hear what Andrew is like at home.

The jock turned to me, "I just don't. It's too complicated for me to even talk about it..." he said.

"Heh... _sure_ it is..." I hear Bender say, "_Orphan_..."

Instantly, we all glared at the burnout, since he's really doing a nice job providing commentary for our lives at home.

I, like everyone else, wanted to know what the hell _his_ home life is… "What about you, dude?" I asked him.

Bender turned to me. "Oh, mine?" he asked me, pointing to himself.

"Yeah, what's up with _your_ parents?" I asked, with a smirk, "I'm pretty sure they've taught you how to be a douchebag or something…" I saw, from my side eye, Andrew nodding his head.

"That's real _easy_, Tim…" Bender said to me, standing up from his chair and walking to the front of the sculpture. He started pondering on how to start… Then, he turned around, made a disgustingly angry face, rubbed his neck and face, and then started the acting…

"Stupid,… worthless,… no good, god damn, freeloading, son of a bitch,... retarded, bigmouth, know-it-all, asshole, jerk!" he said, acting as a mature man. By the sound of it, it must be his daddy-o.

Then Bender backed up a half-step and folded his arms. "You forgot ugly, lazy, and disrespectful…" he said in a dark feminine voice, which I guessed that it was his mother.

"SHUT UP, BITCH!" he instantly screamed as his father, also moving his hand as if he had hit his wife, "Go fix me a turkey pot pie…" he pointed over to 'her', "And EIGHTY-SIX THOSE PEPPERS!"

_What the fuck?_

"What about you dad?" Bender asked as himself.

"Fuck you." he said in his father's voice.

"No, dad, what about you?!"

"Fuck you!"

"NO, DAD! WHAT ABOUT YOU?!"

"FUCK! YOU!"

And Bender punches 'himself' as if he were his dad hitting him, and Bender recoils in pain.

_Oh... my... god... _I thought, horrified.

After seeing Bender getting 'punched hard' by his 'dad', I immediately started to twitch. It seemed so real. In fact, I could feel a connection or something spark. I could make a puzzle piece describing that Bender's dad was a douchebag city person and Bender was… me. And yeah, Bender's mom _does_ contribute with the abuse, but his father is even worse, because not only is he hurting Bender, but he's even hurting his mom too!

_My god… no wonder why he's all bent up… _I thought to myself, feeling dejected. Bender's been hit and tossed around by his own parents, especially his father. Seeing him act out his daily life at home started to remind me of myself getting beaten up back in the city by any douchebag I have encountered. Just seeing how Bender's parents turned Bender into a burnout and screwed with him for possibly the rest of his life is… heinous. I know that he was horrible earlier, being defiant towards Vernon, treating Claire and Brian like little bitches, attempting to pick fights with Andrew, and a bunch of other shitty stuff… But, I guess the reality is, his home life is his weakness, and that's what's making him go further and further into shit. No wonder why Carl predicted that Bender might overdose later on in his lifetime. Everyone just walks all over him. No! That's too weak to say. Everyone just _stomps_ all over him! Yeah that's better, because everyone cannot seem to give Bender a break. They'll shit on him, screw with him, and shun him to hell and back, and when he does something to get ahead of them, they'll do it even more, with a side order of punishment. _Oh what a cruel, evil world we live in, no?_

"Is that true?" asked Brian.

Bender turned towards Brian, ending his act. "You wanna come over to my house?" he asked.

Andrew shook his head. "That's bullshit." he said, "It's all part of your image, I don't believe a word you say…"

_What the fuck, dude?! _I gave Andrew a dirty look. Did you NOT see him unwind and blow off his steam? _I wonder if YOU have shitty parents too, jockstrap! Don't even try to hide it! And don't deny it either!_

Bender turned to Andrew, obviously shocked and upset that he would reject his story.

"Well I believe it." I challenge Andrew.

Andrew turned to me. "Yeah, well I ain't swayed..."

"You don't believe me?" Bender asked him, sounding like he's genuinely hurt.

"No…"

"No?"

"Did I stutter?" Andrew challenged Bender.

I saw the look on Bender's face after Andrew said that. It was just… awful to look at. After everything he has told about his family, it seemed he couldn't convince everyone. I get that he's a total delinquent and treats everyone like crap, no matter what, but there's your reason WHY Bender's a total delinquent. _Is that not enough, Andrew?! Are you missing something there, pal? _Also, in a way, Claire was right about him! He may be a hostile jerk on the outside, but he's a sad, pathetic coward on the inside. He's afraid. I know that Claire was just telling him that just so she be the bigger figure against him, but what she said to him earlier actually drove him home! Just think: If he tries to combat against anyone, like his parents, or Vernon, he'll be in even bigger trouble than he already has been in. And what also hurts is the fact that earlier, Vernon said that everyone would be better off without Bender, and Andrew said that it wouldn't make a difference if there was one less student here. _Oh, like his father's gonna beat him up til dead, and nobody's gonna go to his funeral, or even GIVE A SHIT for him?!_

Bender slowly walked over to Andrew. He looked like he was about to beat the living shit out of him, until he rolled up his right sleeve and presented him a round bruise on his arm. "Do you believe this?" he asked him. Andrew just looked away, acknowledging the burn, but still not convinced enough to believe it. "It's about the size of a cigar… Do I _stutter_?!" Andrew turned his head away, still not wanting to listen to the burnout.

Bender was obviously getting pissed. If his story ain't gonna get Andrew on his side, nothing will, apparently. "Y'see, this is what you get in my house when you spill paint in the _garage…_" he whispered to him.

_God… that's just miserable… A miserable life Bender is living in. A HELL HOLE!_

Bender gave up on convincing Andrew. He walked away from us, pissed. "See I don't think… that I need to sit with you FUCKIN' DILDOS anymore!" he shouted, having his hands beside his shoulders. He stormed over towards a table with geography books placed on top of it, looked towards the back of him, before loudly cursing, sweeping all of the books off the table in a blazing rage. After sweeping most of the books off, he stomped on top of the table, where he jumped up on the side staircase, climbing on top of the side railings, and landing (hard) on the second floor balcony.

I was speechless. Practically we all were. We saw him sit with his back turned against us, his legs hanging over the floor, his head pressed on one of the railings. A couple of seconds, we could hear his fury mellow down into… tears. We could hear him quietly sobbing all the way here. _THIS TIME_ _he's crying... _

"You shouldn't have said that…" Claire sternly said to Andrew.

Andrew turned his head towards her. "How would I know?" he asked, "I mean, he lies about everything…"

_But not that, you idiot! _I said in my head.

I tried to sit back and enjoy lunch just like everyone else is finally starting to do… As I tried to take my first bite into my bagel sandwich, I paused to myself. At this point, I just couldn't work up the courage to do so… My stomach was just… aching me… I lost my appetite.

Thinking about Bender was still bugging me. I know my parents would never, in a million years, hurt me, but I've experienced the same amount of pain as he did whenever some street thug, or student, or whatever comes up to me. Usually they would demand me to give me cash, or something else, whether it was from my wallet or not, and whenever I refused, I would get heckled, shoved, or even beaten up. Sometimes they would come up and hurt me for no reason. I remembered when I was beaten up so badly, I wasn't able to walk properly for DAYS! I had to get my legs checked out a couple of times, because they aimed for the legs. Not only that, not even the cops would come and help me! My dad tried to help me, at least, since he knew that the streets to my school were getting worse and worse, and he tried calling the police to have some cops monitor the streets, but nobody's doing a thing to stop them.

I turned to see Bender once again. He was still in a blue mood. Seeing how none of the others could do anything, considering they're just eating lunch, and acting like nothing had mattered, I looked back at my lunch. Next thing, I put all my food back in my bag, took it, as well as my soda can, and stood up.

Andrew noticed me the second I stood up. "Where are _you_ going?" he asked me.

I didn't respond to him. I didn't even want to speak to him. I just walked forward to the stairs in front of me, waltzing up to the second floor, and headed straight to the side staircase where Bender was sitting at.

Bender was still running high on emotions. Looking at him, he's just awful… All the pain and suffering he's been through… The fury his dad and mom give towards him… All the drugs he's been consuming just to drown his pain… Just awful.

His eyes turn to me. Instantly he wipes away the tears. "What do you want?" he asked me, trying to act all tough again, "Can't you see I don't want to be with anyone?" But it was clear that it was no use. He was still looking blue.

"I hate eating lunch all by myself…" I said to him, "Mind if I sit with you?"

I know it's a stupid idea sitting with a burnout, but in a way, this burnout _has_ had a shitty life, between his home life and parents and his school life being hell. _Since nobody else here wanted to do the work and be with him when he needs someone_, I thought to myself, _I'll be the bigger figure here… _

Bender looked at me for a couple of seconds, before hopping his ass up to the stop step. I sat next to him, and I gave him half my sandwich and chip bag. He studied my sandwich for a couple of seconds, before turning to me. "Your mom make you breakfast to go?" he asked me.

I shrugged. "Ain't no cold cuts at home, so… This is all she made me."

Bender nodded. "Sounds accurate…" He looks down at my sandwich for a couple more seconds. "Least you have parents who love you to the moon and back…" he murmured to me.

I turn to him before I ate my portion of the sandwich, listening to him.

"My parents could care less about feedin' me." he told me, "They spend their money on… cigars, booze, ammo…"

"Ammo?" I asked him.

"My dad likes to hunt for deer, and ducks." said Bender, "I like it when he's out of the house…" Then he started thinking of something else. "But my mom… she's on the sofa most the time… deadbeat."

I nodded, understanding where he's coming from.

"But you… you're practically perfect!" Bender said, "You have great parents… great life… solid amount of money…"

"Bender," I said to him, "You think just because I have great parents, my life is fine?"

Bender looked at me, confused. He looked around for a few seconds, before turning back to me. "You claim you were beat up in a city… bunch'a times." he said, remembering what I have told Claire about being beaten up, "That true?"

I nodded. "Sure I have good parents… but that doesn't mean my life is great…" I started thinking of something. "And the teachers or principals did nothing… neither did the cops." I looked down at my food. "See, all the pain I've suffered through made me cynical and hard-blooded… But on the inside… I want to get out of that… Which is why I moved here… Just so I could start fresh…"

Bender nodded to me. "I understand…" he said, "Hard to see that the pain is hurting ya… making you become an animal…" He thought about something himself, "My parents are _my_ pain. I've become an animal myself, ya know?" He looked around the library, pointing across. "And here… it's where I blow off my steam… I know I have to face Dick here, but… it's better than having a cigar up my ass…"

_Oh god! _I thought, feeling disgusted that his parents are fucking with him a bunch. "You have cigars put up your ass?"

"No…" he said, "But they still use them to hurt me…" He remembers the cigar scar he had on his arm.

I understood how he's feeling. When he's not being abused by his parents, he's taking the steam out on school.

"I like being here." said Bender, "It's practically my real home…" I could see a tear fall down his cheek. "It's better for me, no matter how much they say otherwise…"

I nodded, understanding what he is saying. I mean, sure, he does have Vernon to deal with, and any other teacher, but school is where he's free. _Detention_ is where he's free. Free from the storm that's called his own parents!

Bender looked around again. "So…" he said, "What are you interested in?"

I could tell that he wanted to change the subject. I don't blame him. I don't want to keep on dwelling on his home life anymore. "Mmm… I'm interested in poetry… Not just poetry, but also music, man."

"Oh really?" Bender says, "Favorite genre?"

"Whichever…" I say to him, "I don't care if it's classical, or new wave, or whatever… I just go with the flow…"

Bender nodded. "My favorite's rock n' roll." he said, "It gives me vibe. It makes me think more about chicks, and weed… and life… _Real_ life…"

I smirked at him. "That sounds cool. Maybe I should go to a show sometime…"

"Maybe…" said Bender, feeling happy.

We started eating. As I ate my portion of my sandwich, I saw Bender pointing to my carrots. I gave him the bag and he took out a couple. "This week, fire alarm went off… Guess who did it…" He pointed to himself using his thumb, smiling.

I look at him, shocked of how he would do such a thing. "That was you?" I asked him. I remembered something someone had told me that, apparently, the fire alarm had gone off twice this week, and none of them were because they were practicing, "Wait, was it because of a flare gun? Someone told me about it."

Bender shook his head, "Actually, I pulled it. Just to get out of a psychology test… Didn't study enough because my old man shredded my study notes… for not taking out the trash."

Then the mood got damp again. "Ouch…" I say.

Bender turned to me. "But it's fine." he says, trying to extinguish the dampness, "It's best, 'cause, I'm here, in a library, where I can finally get a chance to read something!"

I smirked to him, "Explains why you read Moliere earlier…"

"Yeah…" he said, "He seems like a cool writer… don't ya think?"

I nodded. "He really does pump your nads…"

We giggled at what I just said. Good to know that Bender wants to get an education instead of 'spending time' with his douchebag parents all day. I mean, he'd probably get a cigar pulled up his anus, for all I know…

"How about you, Tim?" he turned to me.

I turned to face him, confused on what he was asking me. "What?" I asked him.

"How'd you end up here?"

_How'd I end up here? Well, good question._ I guess now that I've acclimated to being around this group of people, I can explain how I got here. "Well, y'see… it's a long story…" I tell him, "But I'll lay it on you."


	12. It's a Long Story

**Friday, March 23, 1984 - Shermer High School, Shermer, IL**

It was a nice, sunny, albeit cold day here… It had been a long day for me, mainly because it had also been my first day here at Shermer High. But who cares? I'm just hoping that this is better than my old school back in Chicago.

So every student here has just about seven classes (one of them was a float class), but six per day, and seven 'days'. Day A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. _Huh. We're too old to be learning our ABC's but thank you very much._

My mom and step-dad have registered me into this school two weeks before today. And I had never been this anticipated. I just couldn't wait to start a new leaf and get out of hell I call North Side High Academy. _Yeah, I didn't mention my old school's name until now. Come at me if you'd like._

Sure, I never got a fully-fledged tour of the school itself, and I only saw pictures of the school's exterior and interior they sent to me in the mail, but whatever. I just felt like it was a good school to attend.

The Monday before I attended Shermer, I was given the green light, telling me that my first day is Friday, and that they are so happy to see me, and blah blah blah… I already have the anticipation and excitement I need.

But the day had finally arrived! Yes, it's Friday! And I'm ready to start my first day off with a bang! I ate breakfast like it was nothing, I took my backpack, and I hurried to the door.

"Have a good first day!" said my mom.

"Yeah, have a good first day, Tim!" said my step-dad.

Before I left, I turned back and acknowledged them. "Thanks!" I say to them, "I will!" And out the door I went! _Boy, I am just ready to start off the school in style! Look out Shermer, here I come!_

As soon as I got to the school, I immediately saw faces I have never seen a lot. I hid my cynical, tough person image and replaced it with a more cheerful, optimistic new student image, just for the crowd to see.

It was Day D, where my fourth class is replaced by my float class. All I had to do was go to my first class: Calculus. _Hoo boy… _It's not the best math subjects or anything to me, but it's something where I just need to improve on it.

Despite my lack of knowledge of the class, I was given a textbook with all the chapters of the entire course throughout the semester. The teacher, Mr. Grivald, told me not to worry about it, since he'll only grade me for my tests and quizzes. He says that I have until the end of the year in until I'm supposed to finish everything.

Now a quick rundown on my grades: Because since I transferred from my old school, my previous GPA transfers along with me. But even though I am keeping my old grades from the old school, Shermer insisted that I should catch up with the rest of the students, even though school started at the very beginning of September and will end by mid-June. So, even though I get to keep my old grades, I have to work my ass off catching up to the rest of all my classes. _I'm gonna be locked up into hell forever…_

Nevertheless, I was given five test sheets and ten quiz sheets to finish by the end of the year. And side note, the fire alarm went off near the end of the class.

The rest of the class was… okay. Sure, I only talked to a small handful of classmates (and I wished that I talked more), but it's no big deal. There are plenty of opportunities to talk to others and try to make a bond or two or so with them.

The next class, second period, was World History, taught by Mrs. Sullivan. She also gave me a couple of tests for me to take home and do, and she also advised me to have them finished by the end of the school year. As for my classmates in that class, I only made small talk with a black boy and an asian girl. They seem good.

The next class, third period, was English, my favorite subject, taught by Mrs. Wieldestein. Like the other two before me, she gave me some homework, and even a book to read, that I have to complete by the end of the year. I wouldn't mind, but she sounded really strict about them. In fact, she sounded pretty strict about the class in general, wanting none of us to talk to each other for the entirety of class, and kept barking at us if we made a slight slip-up. I tried my best not to make a bad impression on her throughout the day. Overall, my english class was good, but my teacher… not so much.

The fourth class, or float class, since it was Day D, was Physical Education, taught by Coach Keller. He didn't give me any papers or anything for me to finish. He just said that one of the days after school, he was gonna run me through some tests. I have zero idea what he meant by that. I think he mentioned something about me running a mile around the football field, and then something about doing a push-up and pull-up test. Besides that, the entire class was okay. I _did_ make small talk with a couple of classmates.

I do have a Music class on regular fourth period classes, taught by Mrs. Ramis. I don't know, I haven't been in that class yet to see if I have an opinion on it yet.

After that was lunch. Fourth period is an hour and forty-five minute block that has enough time for all of us to have lunch. However, the block is divided into three thirds of lunch; first lunch, second lunch, and third lunch. Physical Education, since it was my float class, ends at the start of third lunch, where we are all excused from class head straight to the cafeteria. Music, on the other hand, doesn't start until second lunch starts, where I would have the entirety of first lunch to eat.

Since I was new to this school, I didn't find any tables or people who were welcoming enough to allow me to sit with. Some of the students gave me weird looks or glared at me when I went near their tables, especially the jocks and delinquents. With no other choice, I sat at a small round table at a really far-off corner, away from the rest of the students. Sure it feels like everyone is judging me just because I'm new here, but at the same time, I'm not gonna give up and stay in the corner for long. Besides, it's just my first day. What's the worst that can happen?

After eating my lunch, fifth period had arrived: Art, taught by Mr. Philopellian. He didn't explain much to me, but he did tell me to come after school (if I have the time) to do a couple of art projects, due until the end of the school year. _When I said everyone wants me to catch up to the rest of the class, they meant it well… _There were a couple of students that I also made small talk to, but other than that, the class was pretty basic. Also, Mr. Philopellian's really enthusiastic about class and loves to make the class as fun as possible. _Good for him, I guess…_

All of those classes felt like a BREEZE! I'm about ready to tackle this next class and get it all done with! What is sixth period? Chemistry.

As soon as I walked into the class, there were a bunch of students already inside, and most of the seats were taken. Some of those students stared at me like I was a vampire or something as I headed to find an empty seat.

Well, actually, I found an empty table.

I sat at the second chair, right behind a blonde boy wearing a letterman jacket and having some type of shaggy hairdo, and a black girl who wore a denim vest and glasses. My chair was right in front of a poster of Glenn T. Seaborg, a famous chemist.

I looked at the table and saw a couple of vials and a bunsen burner on it. I started wondering to myself, _Oh what the great activities we'll do in this class. _

A couple seconds or so fly by, and my left eye catches a somewhat chubby boy with curly brown hair. He wore a white polo shirt with pale blue stripes. What really caught my eyesight, though, was the amount of hair he had on his arms.

He shuffled towards the seat next to mine. He looked at me, awkwardly like I was an alien or a stoner, and said, "Y-you must be a new kid, right?" he asked, hesitantly.

I nodded, trying to make him feel content with 'a new kid being around him'. "I'm Tim." I greet myself, "I came from out of town."

The boy nodded. "Nice to hear…" he said, giving off a short smile, "My name's Lawrence, but my friends call me Larry." He turned to his bag and started unloading his folders and binders.

I nodded again. "That's good to hear…" I look around a little bit, "I wonder what the class is like…"

Larry looked at me again. "It's really great!" he said, "We learn about making… y'know, great science concoctions and finding great new ways to help clarify research."

The shaggy blonde boy raised his head until he was in an upside down position, looking at me and Larry. "Why help clarify research, when it's already been done… by that guy over there." he pointed over to the poster of Seaborg.

"Well, it's just so that we can get an impression from how people like _him_ had done it." Larry argued.

"Aren't you supposed to be worried about your asscheeks?" the boy retorted. A couple of nearby classmates giggled when he said that. This left Larry rosy-cheeked, holding said ass-cheeks.

I turned to him, curious. "What happened to them?"

"Some asshat thought it'd be a great idea to tape them together…" said Larry, "Y'see, I'm a _really _hairy guy, and it's bad for me to have to deal with people who want to yank out as much hair from me as they can. I was thinking of maybe going to see someone who could shave it off, but people make fun of me… for… just being hairy…"

I nodded, feeling guilty seeing him in a state like this. I mean, already have I noticed someone who gets pummeled by everyone he sees.

The boy turned to the girl sitting next to him. "Hey, Melanie." he said to him, "You up for that party on Saturday?"

The girl, Melanie, turned to him, "Sure… I just gotta go to a meet with the pride club tonight."

"Isn't the school supposed to be occupied tomorrow?" he asked her, with a smirk.

Melanie groaned, "Tyler, they always say that because they hold Saturday detention here."

"Bleh…" someone said across from the row. I turn to see a plump, red-headed boy with glasses, freckles, and a slight stubble. "You guys are _so_ busy with your little _clubs_ and pride of the school, that none of you even know how to get yourselves ready for college!" He looked like the kind of student who was so smart, he was willing to rub it in his face.

The boy, Tyler, glared at the sharp nerd, "What's the matter, Mark?" he taunted, "You're too scared to get an F on a test? Besides, we have lives too!"

"I'm saying you guys are too busy thinking about 'amazing' you want to make Shermer be, when it's a dump… That you're not even thinking of getting _out_ of Shermer! You want to get out, think about your hoity-toity grades and shit. Maybe join an academic club like the Physics Club or the Math Club. And if you even want to get out of the country-"

The girl scoffed, "Yeah yeah, we know… join the Spanish Club and the German Club and whatever… You told us that for the zillionth time!"

"Zillion isn't a real number, Mel." Mark retorted. He turned to Larry, "Hey Lester, that project for the Math Club is due Tuesday! Get a leg on it!"

"I-I'm trying, Mark, but-" Larry tried to say.

"Don't tell me your ass hurts! You can still function, for Einstein's sake!" Mark yelled. This got a couple of other students' attention.

At this point, Larry was too shocked to say anything to defend himself.

"Hey man." I say to him, "Maybe you should leave him alone."

"You stay out of this!" Mark turned his fury towards me, "This, _obviously_, has nothing to do with you, so shut it!"

"Ooooh!" I hear Tyler say, "You gonna take that from a A+ asshole like Mark Grindon?"

I just maintain my posture. I give off a serious look towards him, trying to tell him to shut up. "Listen, Mark, is it?" When he nodded, I continued, "I know you're trying to get on it with your grades, and I know you're trying to get the hell out of Shermer… But screaming about it so that everyone can hear isn't gonna help plead your case."

Mark stood up and glared at me. "I'll have _you_ know that unlike _most _people in this trash…" he pointed to himself with his thumb, "_I_ give a shit about my grades, and _I_ try to find the best school that'll give me the best I can do, which I _can_ do!"

I roll my eyes, and let out a deep sigh. _My god, he's such an entitled asshole… _

"Don't give me that sigh of aggravation!" he shouted at me, "I can be what I want to be! I can be a chemist… like Seaborg!" he pointed over to his poster, "Or I can be a genius, like Da Vinci! Or I can be a philosopher, like Confucius!"

"Well you don't need to be a dick about it." I retort, "I know you want to be a great… whatever, but with that attitude, you need to think about yourself a little bit before you can start up your plans!"

"What are _your_ plans, buddy!" he said in a threatening tone, "You gonna waste away like the rest of the garbage here? Stuck in the state of Illinois, where you'll forever think about what could've been, but you can't?! _Pathetic_!"

I gave him an icy cold glare towards him. He could tell that I was not having it, but he didn't want to back down. Instead he said this, "I've seen that glare before, ya know? I've seen it when I beat the asses of poor, pathetic weaklings they dub themselves _geniuses_, in the State Finals. They're mostly from the city!"

"Yeah…" I say, "I'm from Chicago… So what?"

"You, are nothing but a _weakling_…" he said, "The city's your ol' stompin' ground, eh? Oh all the city people and how they claim they're 'properly learned' and shit… Reality is, they beat each other up and waste their money on drugs! Kinda like YOU!" he pointed to me, "Sick! Pathetic! STUPID! Us townfolk don't need a city influence like you at all!

"Mark, shut it…" I tell him. At that point, I was getting pissed with him and his arrogance and levels of jackassery.

"What are _you_ gonna do about it, bucko?!" asked Mark, "You don't even know _where_ you wanna go to when you graduate Shermer!"

"Well, I just got here." I say to him.

Mark scoffed, "And you're gonna start from square one: Not even knowing what you're even doing here!"

"Mark, you don't need to be a bitch!" I hear Melanie say.

"This isn't _your_ fight, gem-shirt!" Mark pointed to her pink shirt with bedazzled gems on her torso. At this point, he sounded more like a jerkass bully than a nerd.

At that point, Tyler stood up, "D'ya want me to get the entire team to beat the shit out of you?"

"You _always_ say that!" Mark turned to Tyler, "But you never mean it, do you?!"

I've had enough of him. "Mark, why don't you shut up!" I shout at him, "Is this how you're always like everyday?!"

"You don't know me!" Mark said back to me, "And you have the balls to say that NOW?!"

At that point, we started talking back and forth to each other, insulting each other, and hurling curses towards one another. The more the jerk-nerd and I were arguing, the more it got intense. Not even the other classmates did anything to settle the argument down. I was even thinking at this point, _Where the hell is the teacher when you need them?_

"I'll tell ya why you're new to this place, bucko!" Mark angrily stated, "You're here because you just want to leave behind your little _shell_ from your old home, you wanna turn yourself anew! But ya know what? You CAN'T! 'Cause you're nothing but a COWARD!"

I've had MORE than enough of him. "Mark, you're being a complete. FUCKFACE!" I scream at him as loud as I could, enough to silence the entire class.

Mark stood there, still glaring at me, but not saying anything to fight back. But I felt like that wasn't enough. "Look at yourself in the mirror and tell me that what you see is not a coward, because that's what you are! I oughta punch your lights out for mockin' my hometown! Can't ya see I'm trying to get on with my fucking life?! FUCK OFF, ASSHOLE! Tryin' to get a piece of me!" At that point, Mark struck my inner city person.

Suddenly, the doors swiftly open, and storming into the classroom were two men. One of them was a man in his early to mid forties. His hair was completely white, and he wore a brown jacket with a bunch of old patches on it. The second man was a man in his fifties and he was more severe-looking than the man next to him. He wore a gray suit that looked like he was going to a funeral. And he had that look on his face that looked as if his kids had broken his precious vase.

"What is going on in here?!" the first man asked, exasperated.

Mark and I stop short from our argument and see both men glare at us. Instantly, Mark pointed to me, "He started it!" he said, "He told me to fuck off!"

I glare at him, _You're one to talk, bitch!_

The first man looked at me, "You must be the new student?" he asked me, "You're Tim Camm, right?" When I nodded, he continued, "Are you okay? Did something happen?" I could tell that he was aware that Mark started the whole escalation.

"As a matter of fact, yes." I say to him, "He was gloating to them," I point to Tyler and Melanie, "About how great he is, and I tell him to knock it off, and then he gets all mad at me and tells me to go back to the city, where I came from…"

"Of course…" I hear the second man grumble.

The first man turned to him, confused, "Is something wrong, Rich?"

The second man slowly walked towards me, still having his trademark glare plastered on his face. "I've heard a _lot_ about you city folks…" he said to me, "And I know how strong of an 'influence' you are to these people…" He motioned his hands towards everyone in the room.

"That's right, Mr. Vernon!" Mark nodded, trying to sway the blame to me.

"Sir, I-"

"All the drugs you have, all the threats you make to each other… And now you're gonna threaten the star student Mark Grindon?" he asked me, darkly.

"Sir, it's not my fault…" I say to him, "He started badmouthing the city like it was prison." I point to him. "Even though it's _partly_ true, I think that what he's trying to say is unjustified. And then he started to hurl some nasty insults and such, and-"

"He told me to fuck off, Mr. Vernon!" Mark interrupted me, pointing to me, "He called me a fuckface, and tried to embarrass me in front of all these amazing students! You gotta do something, sir! As vice principal, you _have_ to not let this go unpunished!" He looked like he had been violated. He tried to portray himself as innocent and pointed to me as if I had started the whole fight.

The rest of the students had nothing to say. They looked on, unable to speak the truth of what happened. _The fuck, guys?! A little HELP would be nice!_

The vice principal, whose name is Mr. Vernon, stood in front of me, very closely, leering at me. "Tryin' to be so tough… Trying to give these kids here an example of what you were like back in the city… I figured that new kids from the urban land like you would be trouble! And boy, am I right! Well I have news for you, Mr. Not-So-Goodie-Two-Shoes!" The next words out of his mouth were what shocked me. He points to me, "You just earned yourself detention tomorrow!"

I could hear Larry, Melanie, Tyler, and several others gasping.

All I did was stare in disbelief. I can't believe it. My first day of school today, and then the next day I get detention?! What the actual fuck?!

"Sir, tomorrow's Saturday." I tried to plead my case, "And I didn-"

"Exactly!" Mr. Vernon pointed to me again, "This Saturday, you'll be here! 7:00 am on the DOT!" He picked out a pink detention slip from his pocket, and slammed it on my side of the table.

I was left speechless. To my left eye, I could see Mark, who had a smug, shit-eating grin plastered on his face, the kind that makes me want to strangle him until he dies. To my right eye, I could see the students looking on in shock, and the first man, who I could finally assume was my Chemistry teacher, staring in disbelief. I'm pretty sure in his eyes, he knew that I'm in the right. I could assume that he's dealt with Mark so many times, that he wanted to punish him so badly. But with Vernon here, he wouldn't have the guts to do so, considering he's the fucking vice principal, and Vernon would probably let him go if he ever took my side, judging by his looks and attitude.

"Welcome to Shermer, sunshine…" he taunted.

And with that, he strutted out of the classroom, not even wanting to hear anyone else say anything to defend me.

I give a smirking Mark one final glare, before turning my attention to my pink slip. I stared down at it, still in shock of what had happened. I noticed that everyone else was stunned, even the Chemistry teacher, who was looking at the doorway, wishing that he'd defend me, or help the other classmates, whom they also wished they had defended me, tell the truth.

As I stared down at my pink slip, I could feel my stomach aching. It felt like I was flying as high as a kite, and then all of the sudden, a deep gust of wind sent me falling airborne… until I hit a telephone pole, where I got electrified.

Suddenly, I hear the words from this morning, 'Have a good first day!', echoing in my mind. I was too much in shock to even do anything. I could hear my mom and step-dad say in my mind…

'Have a good first day!'...

'Have a good first day!'...

'Have a good first day!'...

'Have… a… good… first… day…!'...


	13. She's Got a Way With Words

**12:13 p.m. - Shermer High School - Library**

"And that was all it…" I say to Bender, "After that, everyone was shocked that it all happened, and they all thought I never meant to do it. I mean… I know I yelled at Mark, but it was like he was asking for it! I don't really hate being in the city… I'm just tired of being there. That's all…"

Both Bender and I were laying on the upstairs floor, with full stomachs, feeling tired, just doing nothing but having this conversation here.

Bender looked up and nodded at me. "Right…" he said.

"Ask anyone: Who is _really _in the wrong? Me or Mark?"

"Definitely Mark." said Bender, "Y'see, most of the school hates that guy. He claims he's the smartest kid around, y'know, with all of the awards and achievements and shit he has… But he's an asshole. He rubs in his glory in everyone's faces, he's criticized all the classes and teachers, calling them worthless and easy. He's just not a good person to be around, ya know?"

"Yeah…" I nodded.

"And it sounded like you were trying to defend your ol' home… But he really must've _laid_ it onto you…" He looked up towards the ceiling, "He's like Brian, Claire, and Jockstrap fused together… with a little hint of me in it." He smirks, pointing himself with his thumb.

"Ah…" I say, "Too bad I have to deal with that insufferable genius in my Chem class."

"He's in my Algebra class… he's just as bad as anything." Bender said, "And I know why Vernon never gives him the sack… Because he's his golden student. He's demented… intelligent… has the same mean person attitude as he does…"

"It's just awful to have to deal with douchebags like him…" I say to him.

Bender nodded. "He's hard to deal with." he said to me, "I'd want to see what kinds of shit he has in his safe…"

"Me too…"

Bender and I stayed around, still lying like two sleeping dogs. We were practically safe from harm's way. It seemed that no one could actually hurt us anymore. No Vernon, no Mark, nobody.

"Hey listen, man." Bender said to me, "Thank you for coming to me for lunch. It was great being with you… just, dwelling in, talking about how we ended up here…"

"You're welcome, Ben-," I said, before I had a realization, "I mean, you're welcome, John." I smiled at him. This was the first time I referred to this dude as his first name. I don't care anymore. I don't have sick feelings against him anymore. It seemed like we were actually, truly starting to become friends. I felt happy with that.

Suddenly, I feel an icy, chilly, somewhat sticky whatever touch my neck. Naturally startled, I rolled over and looked to see the person who had done it.

_Allison!_

The girl in question still had that stoic, creepy look on her face. She was looking down at me like I was her slave and she was the queen. _What does she expect me to do?_ I thought to myself, _Kiss her fucking feet?_

"You again?" I asked, confused and awkward, wondering what I should say to her, "Wh-wha… what's going on?"

Allison did not say a word. Instead, she squinted her eyes and stared at me like she was engaging me in a staring contest. After several seconds of staring at me, like she was staring at my soul, she slightly widened her eyes to normal. She spoke with the exact same dark feminine voice that Brian, Claire, John, and I heard when she and Andrew came back with the sodas, "Still alive…"

_What does that even mean? _I thought to myself, confused on what she's meaning by it.

John hopped up and saw her. "You some kind of corpse detector?" he asked her.

Allison turned over to see John. She didn't say anything to him. All she did was have that ever stoic look on her face.

Then Allison turned to me. "I wanted that knife…" she murmured.

I raised my eyebrows, baffled that she would actually say something. "What?" I say, "Enough to get yourself expelled?"

"Yes…" she said, looking to her side.

John and I looked at each other, confused. I do not know the reason why she's even here. Was her creepy, stoic attitude to blame for her appearance? Did it have to do with her fetish for knives?

"What got you here?" I asked her.

She whipped her head towards me. "What got _you_ here?!" she immediately fired back.

Taken back by that sudden movement of hers, I maintained my ground and stood up. I looked at her for a few seconds, then looked at John, who motioned his head towards her, shrugging.

"Well…" I say to her, "I don't know if you were eavesdropping on John and I while I was narrating what went down yesterday for me, but…" She lowered her eyebrows at me, but I still continued with my conversation with her on why I got in trouble, "It was all wrong. Some asshat was insulting a bunch of my classmates and I tried to defend him. Y'see, the city had roughened me up a bunch, and it's always made me cynical, edgy, whatever that's not too appetizing. But when I moved _here_, to Shermer, I wanted to change. Y'know, I tried to be friendly and what sort, but this asshat named Mark Grindon was harassing my friends in sixth period. So I tried to defend them, and then he got mad, and I got mad, and then he insulted me moving from the city, and so… I screamed in his face." To my right eye, I saw John giggle, could be something that he'd do himself if Mark insulted his image, "And then boom! Vernon gave me detention, and left Mark going scot-free, like he was innocent." I glared to myself, "Fuckin' Mark… I'd like to punch the shit outta him."

"Atta boy…" I hear John whisper.

"I'm grudging on Vernon too, for making me spend my time _here_!" I continue, "I could be exploring a lot more around town, or I could be chilling at home, but here I am here!" I looked at Allison, and she was looking down at the floor.

_Hey, Allison! I'm talking to you!_ I think to myself, glaring at her. _What, you lost interest halfway through the conversation?_ I roll my eyes, disappointed with her not paying attention to what I am saying.

But Allison looked back up. "Well that's a very interesting story you have…" she said, feigning interest, "But tell me… Why are you _really_ in here?" She leaned in to me, her right eyebrow raised.

_What?! I just explained it all to you! _I thought, pissed at her.

I was about to say something to her, but then I hear, "Say what you want to say…" I look over and see Andrew, along with Claire and Brian. "She'll just keep it up with the willy-nillies…"

"What do you mean?" I ask him.

Allison struts in front of me. "Willy-nillies, hmmm?" she asks, "Well… I would beg to differ…"

"What on earth are you talking about?" I ask her. Okay, I know that she was a crew member in some rando's play a couple years ago, and that she was bit by the leading actor, but I want to know, _Ever since she got bit, did she become like this today? _But then I remember that she glued some of the props and backgrounds in said play.

"Have you ever wondered to yourself and thought, 'Hey, the whole world's a crap place to live in?'" she asked us all.

The rest of us looked at each other.

"What are saying?" I ask. Yeah, I know where I lived before here was shitty, but I wouldn't say that the _whole_ world's a shit place. I mean, there's the Soviet Union, Lebanon, North Korea, you name it! Other than places like those, the world's is just an… okay place.

"I'm just saying that because," Allison says, "The world's filled with ignorant, soulless, sad people…"

I saw Andrew shaking his head, doubting her. "Name one person…" he says to her.

Allison locks eyes at Andrew. "The teachers, here…" She looked up at the ceiling, pondering back and forth. "Or at least I thought they'd be…" She looked at her purse, "Til I found this puppy…" Taking something out of her purse, was a CD of Prince's _1999_.

"Oh right…" Andrew nodded his head, gesturing his hand towards the CD, "1999…"

"Never thought they were actually real-life _peopl_e…" said Allison, "Til now..."

_Of course they're people! They're people no matter HOW you look at them! Who EVEN are YOU?!_

"Where'd you find that CD?" asked Brian.

Allison turned to see him. "Guess…" she said, with a smirk.

Brian pondered the question. A couple seconds later, he went agape. It was that moment he (along with all of us, except for Andrew) knew that Allison had stolen that CD from somewhere.

"Don't tell me you broke into a locker…" Brian said.

I was feeling nervous myself. I knew that if Vernon or Carl, or any faculty member present here would discover the supposed 'locker' that she broke into. Since Vernon had sent Allison and Andrew to go get drinks, he's probably going to go after them. Meanwhile, John had that sly smile on his face. He's probably thinking to himself, _Welcome to the club, Ally!_

But Allison, holding up her purse, took out some more stuff she 'found' in that supposed locker. She took out a set of keys and tossed them to John, who caught them and smirked at them. _Now he's in control… _Then she took out a notebook and tossed it to Claire. Then she took out a pack of cigarettes and tossed them to Brian. Then she took out a fedora and tossed it to me.

Brian looked at the pack and dropped it. He had that scared look on his face. "They're not supposed to be in here!" he informed Allison.

"Exactly!" she said, with a sly grin, "They belong to the staff. Surprised they haven't opened them yet."

"My dad could use some…" John suggested, walking over to pick up the pack of cigarettes.

Meanwhile, Claire was looking through the notebook when she chuckled seeing something. "Look at this!" she pointed out. Brian and John looked to her side and saw something she was reading. Needless to say, they were giggling themselves.

"What is that?" asked Andrew.

"Mr. O'Haggann, one of the English teachers, wrote this. Says here, he has a certain fetish for blow-up dolls. He called one of them, _Nancy_, a wife he wishes he would claim!"

We all snickered hearing this. I'm wondering to myself, _Isn't he a charmer?_

"That's so creepy and hilarious on so many levels…" Brian says, examining the cover of the notebook and read the title. "Oh, th-that's really Mr. O'Haggann's diary!" Then he turned to Allison. "Was all of that shit from Mr. O'Haggann's locker?"

Allison smirked at Brian. "Never question that…" she said.

I looked at the fedora that Allison tossed to me and had an idea. I whipped it up on my head and jumped to the center.

"They say this town's tough…" I say, with an urban, Chicago-like accent, which gathered everyone's attention, "But they don't know me… I'm even tougher…" I cracked my knuckles, displaying an intimidating face, before balling my right hand into a fist and caught it with my left hand. Then I flicked my hat and smirked.

Some of them giggled when I did that.

"Nice impression, Tim." said Claire.

"You sound like you're some kind of gangbanger…" said John.

"I try…" I say to them.

But Andrew looked towards her, still curious. "Okay, but joke's aside. Who are you even?"

I looked at Allison too, wanting to ask the same thing to her.

Allison turns to him. The way she looked at him though, wasn't as stoic and deadpan as she normally had it. She just had that innocent-looking, eye-batting expression on her face that didn't seem at all that threatening.

"Who am I?" she asked. She walked around Brian, Claire, and John. "Well… funny question you may ask…"

She circled around Brian, who looked at her, nervously. "Some say… that I'm… _creepy_…" She demonstrated by wiggling her fingers, as if she was about to tickle him, and eventually she motioned her hands towards his ribs. When Brian recoiled, she stopped. Then she walked over to Claire. "Also… I'm what's known to them… an _uncontainable disease_…" She demonstrated by rapidly poking the tip of Claire's nose, causing the latter to scrunch up her face. Eventually, she sneezed. Then she walked over to John. "And they all say… that I'm… out of people's control…" She demonstrated by grabbing John's right arm, and then started dancing with him. The way she danced with him though was rather quite aggressive, as she was spinning him around and around. As soon as she stopped spinning him, he tried to regain mobility, shutting his eyes trying to get back to reality, as well as trying not to blow chunks all over the floor (though I think he'd want to do it just to get more on Vernon's nerves).

And then she turned her head towards me. _My god… What are you gonna do, young lady?_

"But I'm more than that…" she said, slowly walking towards me, displaying a smug grin, "I've seen lots of people 'round the halls… Thinkin' that they're all perfect and shit…"

_In other words, you're kinda like Carl in that regard?_

"Reality is, though… that they are all worthless… shitty bitches…" She stopped in front of me. "You're probably wondering why I'm saying that, huh?" she asked, placing her right hand on my left arm, before cracking her knuckles onto it.

All I did was shrug. I mean, I can recount all the shit she's done here… she eats weird things (her fingernails, dead bugs, etc.), yells whenever someone says they have shitty parents, makes weird flirty gestures at random people, creates 'wonderful' masterpieces with her food in front of her, collects dangerous weapons, bites down on her utensils, stares at people's asses (MY ass), defines certain people and compares them to different occupations or roles, traps her fellow actors/actresses with props soaked with some kind of fluid that would cause them to stick (even though that was like two years ago, according to her tape she showed me), and 'detects' people on the ground to see if they're dead.

But looking at the positives, it seems she could be anything: an artist, an actor or crewmember, a creative chef, or even a baseball catcher! It seems that she's through and through with herself, and that sounds like something cool.

"So what you're saying is…" Andrew began, "Is that you're a freak, and you're proud of it?" Then he started thinking of something else, "And you don't care what other people say about you?"

Allison turned to him, a smirk on her face. "None… Actually, if you think about it… We're all freaks in our own special way…"

I could see the other three: Brian look around, feeling weirded out, Claire shaking her head, doubting the fact that she's a freak too, and John folding his arms, looking like he wants to hear more from the dark girl's mouth.

"Have you ever seen a dead body before?" Allison asked Andrew.

Andrew's eyes raised up; he was shocked. "Have _you_?" he asked her.

"Just want to see if we have something in common…" she said. Andrew shook his head. "_Anything_ freaky or unusual?" Again, Andrew shook his head.

I saw everyone else shake their heads. Seeing how Allison was the only 'weird' one out of all of us, I decided to say something…

I raised my head, getting her attention. "I have something freaky to share…"

"Do tell…" she said.

"I saw a billy goat with its insides out." I lied. Brian, Andrew, and Claire was disgusted. John and Allison, though, were rather interested, "It was all… pink… and gross…"

"Did you see its horns?" Allison asked me, "Or were they inside out too?"

"They were inside out…" I said, "The farmer said that they're probably piercing its belly."

"Oh my god!" Claire complained, "Stop. Talking!"

"Really!" Andrew agreed, "You're gonna make us blow chunks here!"

"Y-yeah!" Brian also agreed, "On the carpet! A-an-a-and Vernon! He's gonna make us clean it all up!"

I playfully smirked at them, "Just sayin'... I saw a goat inside out… And you'll never guess how big its genitals ar-"

"I said SHUT UP!" Claire yelled, covering her ears. I looked at her, and she was looking like she was ready to cry. It seemed to me that I was gonna go to a point where she was gonna start bursting into tears… Seeing that she's near that instant, I decided that it'd be best for me to shut up like what she suggested.

"Atta boy, Tim." said Allison, smirking at me, "You're one step closer to making her budge."

"Wha-?" Claire asked, confused.

I chuckle to myself, but I think to myself about earlier, "I thought John made her budge…" I say. The boy in question smirked at me.

Claire, on the other hand, glared at me and everyone else. I couldn't tell if she was angry or confused. She held her hands up besides her head. "I'm not gonna question it, alright? S-screw this…" She strutted away from all of us, heading towards the bookshelves, not even thinking twice to look back.

_Oh crap… I think I might've gone too deep into it… _I thought, concerned about Claire. I mean, I was joking, right? I didn't mean to disgust her or anything. I mean, who's the guy who went over and comforted her when she was in the brunt of John vs. Andrew… whatever? Clearly me.

Feeling guilty, I try to walk over to her. But then I feel a hand on my right shoulder. I turn and see John.

"I'll join ya on this one…" he said to me.

Shrugging, I walk with him to where Claire sat at. Seeing Claire's face, it seemed like she doesn't want to speak to anyone at all. Before I had the opportunity to say something to her, John pointed to the next aisle, having a bookshelf Claire was staring at, which was filled with a ton of books. Realizing what he meant by that, we both quietly walked past Claire's aisle and headed into the aisle next to it.

I mouthed to John, 'What now?'. John held on to his trademark smirk and removed two books from the bookshelf, revealing to the other side Claire, who deadpanned towards him. Finally realizing what he's meaning, I decide to play along.

"Hi…" said John, smirking at her.

"Can't you please leave me alone?" Claire responded exasperated.

"I believe that you're giving me all these signals _not_ to leave me alone…" John talked back to her.

"What signals?" I hear Claire, confused on what he meant.

John still held on to that smirk. "Every time I say something to you, you say something back…" he said, "You just keep begging for me to continue…"

I could hear Claire scoff, "No I don't think so…"

"Tim?" I hear John ask me, "Do you think she's interested?"

I play along with John by gently shoving the books next to the open hole, closing out John, and revealing Claire my face. I smirked over to John and say, "Not really…"

John shoved the books, blocking me out, and said, "Smegma toast…"

I give John a look of confusion, _What does that mean? Did you think that I wasn't helping you?_ Just then, I realized what 'smegma' meant, and it looked like I was ready to gag. _No, I do NOT want smegma on my toast, sir. _And I guess Claire might be disgusted hearing the word 'smegma' too. But before any of us could do something else, John closed the hole with the two books he had removed before.

"You ever had smegma on your toast, John?" I hear Allison's voice.

John and I turn to see Allison standing by the entrance of our aisle. We stared at her, confused, but I was more disgusted.

"No, have you?" he asked her.

"I thought you'd have something freaky you want to share…" she said.

John thought for a second, "I've seen a man with elephantiasis of the nuts." he said to her, "Don't you think it's pretty tasty?"

Allison smirked at him. "Yeah… But not as tasty as smegma toast…"

_'m_ _sorry, I'll be right back, I have to lurch…_ I thought, sick to my stomach. I couldn't tell which would be sicker - smegma, or the inside-out goat I made up.

But in all honesty, Allison is a weird girl. As creative, disgusting, and interesting she can get, she may have some kind of sense of truth and honesty about her life of what sort. It could be home life, school life, any kind of life she is observant over. And it sounds as if she can say any kind of shit she can about something or someone, but in a creative, catchy, and inspirational way. She's got a way with words.


	14. Some Kind of Field Trip

**12:35 p.m. - Shermer High School - Library**

Time was a'wasting away like a cavity eating a tooth. At this point, we were spending less time on our essays, mainly because most of us haven't gone halfway through yet. Looking at my essay, I had lost count of how many words I have written on it. I think I've _maybe_ written enough words to cover an essay, even though Vernon said that we had to write no less than a thousand words…

I looked over towards Claire, and she was busy minding her own business. Part of me still feels guilty for talking about the so-called billy goat, which disgusted her. I don't blame her. I think in her perspective, she finds certain things a total gross out.

Standing up from my chair, I duck from the railings and head over to her. I ignore John eyeing me like a hawk as I stop to see her. She notices and turns her head towards me.

"Hey…" I say to her, "I'm, uh… here to apologize… y'know, for grossing you out about that billy goat."

Claire looked down a little bit, before raising her head to me, "It's fine…" she said, standing up, "I mean… You were just expressing one of your abnormal memories to Allison."

I turn to see Allison, who was back in her seat, her position facing away from everyone else again.

"I was just reacting to something I feel that's not so normal to me…" I hear Claire say. I turn to see her stand up and reach forward to my head, specifically to me ear. I hear her whisper, "Did you really see it?"

Confused, I whisper back, "What? A billy goat? Insides out?" When she nodded, I shook my head, "No… I just wanted to make sure Allison wasn't the odd one out of all of us. I lied just so she doesn't have to feel like the odd ball out."

Claire pushed her head back, squinting her eyes towards me. "Wow…" she whispered.

"I mean," I whisper as I kneel down to her level, "She feels left out…"

"Uh huh…"

Suddenly, John jumps from his chair and stomps his feet on the ground upon landing. "I say we blow this pop stand."

Me, Claire, and pretty much everyone else whose name is not Allison turned our attention to see the burnout on his two feet, smirking. We could all tell that he's cooking something up... again.

"What do you mean?" I ask him, "You want us to leave the library?"

"Mr. Vernon said we should stay in our seats." advised Brian.

Andrew nodded, "Exactly, I'm not risking getting an absence from my meet by leaving this joint."

John turned his head towards him. "Relax, Muscle Butt," he said, quoting Carl's nickname for the jock, "I just need to stretch my legs…" He turns his attention towards me, "Besides, I don't know if _new kid _knows where he's going around these parts…"

"_Please_…" I scoff, "I know exactly how to navigate through this place."

"Not _all _of this place…" John shook his head.

I arch my left eyebrow, incredulous on what he's planning to do. _Great… At this point, my new leaf status is gonna wither out if I join him… _

"John, what are you talking about?" I ask him.

"Just wait until next time you guys see each other." said Claire.

But John marched over to the doorway, his smirk still present. Brian looked at Andrew, Claire and I, concerned on the fact of what would happen if he were caught the second he exits the building. Andrew just shook his head, placing his hands on the back of his head, naturally feeling apathetic about the burnout.

John was leaning against the librarian's desk, whipping his hair, turning his head towards us. "I just need to get something from my locker too…" He lays his attention back onto me. "So Tim. What do you say of coming along with me? I'm pretty sure you're dying to see more of this school, huh?"

"I don't know…" I say, concerned, "What are you thinking of getting?"

"It's a surprise…" said John.

"Like a 'Hell yeah, I want to be apart of this' or an 'I can't believe this is happening to me' kind of surprise?"

John folded his arms, "If I tell you, it wouldn't be a surprise anymore. Besides, you're not too familiar with this school yet, are ya?"

_No… you're right… I'm not too familiar with a school that is on the verge of falling into disarray and disrepair… _I thought negatively.

I shake my head.

"Good to know." said John, "Now… you comin'?"

I knew this would be a bad idea, since I'm new here, and if I were to get caught, I'd be in more hot water with Vernon, and John would be in lava at this point. On the other hand, I hadn't really gotten a complete tour of Shermer. All I had gotten were pictures of the school, and that was it. To my left, I could see the others murmur and silently disagree with going ahead on John's plan. To my right, I could see John yawning, patiently waiting for me to blurt out an answer. _I can't believe I'm in the middle of this… _I would normally say 'no thanks' and be done with it, but…

"Make a decision?" I hear John say.

"Fine!" I snap, "I'll go."

_Fuck! Wrong answer… Good grief…_

"Just as I expected…" said John.

"Are you serious?" Claire asked me, shocked.

"You're really dealin' with that devil." Andrew agreed, pointing to the burnout in question, "Take it back!"

John cackled, "So… You brownnosers want in on the tour or what?"

I saw the looks on everyone's faces. Seeing their faces, I could tell that they wouldn't even dare to join in on the John Bender conga line. It was just no use going through more trouble. I don't really blame them at all. The only person I blame is myself for even caving in in the first place! _Why did I have to do that?! WHY?!_

Then I see Allison slowly turn her head towards the two of us. After exchanging stares, she stood up and walked over towards us.

"Welcome to the party…" John greeted Allison. Allison just ignored him. Then John leaned his head in towards the rest of the group, especially towards Claire, his left eyebrow raised. Claire, meanwhile, was biting her upper lip.

_So now it's just half of us wanting to defy Vernon and 'tour' through the hallways. I think we'll be on our way now, John?_

But I thought to myself too soon, because Claire stood up to join us.

Andrew shook his head, still doubting the risk of joining us. But with John still looking at him and Brian… "Dammit." he pouted, thinking that it was no use. He stood up and joined the rest of us.

This left only Brian, who was still hesitant of leaving the library.

"That leaves you, Wonder Worm…" said John, cracking a smile, "Are you ready to blossom into a butterfly?"

Brian shook his head, "It's actually caterpillars that turn into butterflies." he said.

John exhaled a heavy sigh, rolled his eyes, and walked towards the railings. Near them, he slammed his two hands on the railings, anticipating Brian's answer. "So… Captain Caterpillar, you ready to grow some balls?"

"I _really_ don't think it's a good idea…" Brian argued.

_Ugh… just get up Brian. _I thought, shaking my head, _It's no use saying no to him…_

And boy was I right. Brian, along with me, Andrew, and Claire, all thought it was the wrong idea. With a reluctant sigh of defeat, he stood up and joined us all.

"That's the spirit!" clapped John, "Now let's go!"

John led the way, with me, Allison, Claire, Andrew, and Brian in tow. As soon as he reached the door, he looked back at us.

"How do you know if Vernon's not out there?" I ask him, just as Allison, for some reason, spins out of her position and heads to the back of the line.

"Because…" said John, "Usually, he's bad with holding his coffee…"

Claire shook her head, "How could you be so su-"

"Shhh…" John shushed her, pointing to the door.

Leaning in, we could barely hear Vernon walking out of his office. "Coffee…" he murmured, "Looks like they scrape it from the bottom of the Mississippi River… Everything's polluted, everything's polluted!" As his voice was droning out, John used this as the opportunity.

He opened the door, and after a few seconds, he gave us the all-clear signal. He swiftly walked out to the hallway to the right.

Following him, I looked to see Vernon out of sight and earshot, as I strode over to where John went.

As soon as everyone else caught up to him, he made a beeline to another corridor of the school.

"How do you know where Vernon went?" Claire asked him.

"I don't…" John responded, nonchalantly.

"Well, how do you know he'll be back?" I ask him.

"I don't…" said John, turning to me, "Being bad feels pretty good, right?"

_Maybe… _I thought, rolling my eyes.

In back of me, I hear Brian ask Andrew, "What's the point of following him to wherever he's going?"

"Beats me…" Andrew responded.

"This is so stupid!" Brian kept on complaining, "Why do you think, wh-why are we risking getting caught?"

"I dunno…" I could tell that Andrew was getting annoyed, not just with John's little 'tour', in which he has not just me, but everyone else included in it, but also Brian's constant whining.

_Yeah, I don't blame you, Andy… _I thought, _I kinda wish I brought up the Quiet Game right now just to get him off your nerves._

"So then what are we doing?" Brian kept asking Andrew.

And of course, Andrew was an inch away from hurling Brian into a garbage disposal. I could tell because I could hear him say, "You ask one more question, and I'm beating the shit out of you!"

After that, it felt like Brian listened to Andrew and kept his mouth shut the rest of the way. Or so I thought.

"Aren't you nervous?" he asked me on my left.

I turn to see him, and he had the panicked look on his face. Yeah, I don't want to be caught as much as the next guy, but the more I hear panic from him, the more I feel anxious.

I breathe a heavy sigh and say to him, "Bri… I don't know where we are going either… But I think it's best not to complain much."

"Fair point." I hear Andrew say, "The more you keep up this chatter, the more we'll be caught!" I turn and give a nod to Andrew.

"Sorry…" Brian says, "It's just that… I don't want to get in trouble with Mr. Vernon or anything, and-."

"Yeah. We get it." said Andrew. He looked at me, "And Tim, you need to worry about yourself too! Don't wanna paint a shitty image of yourself on your first days here, do ya?"

I turn to Andrew. "I'm aware of that…" I say, a tad bit exasperated.

As we were walking, we all hear the sound of jangling change inside of a room on the left, followed by a coin put into a vending machine, accompanied by a middle aged man's grunting.

In my mind, _Oh crap! It's Vernon!_ Immediately, I knew that our fates were going to be sealed. I knew that Vernon's gonna catch us all if we pass through the teachers' lounge. The door was opened, so we might as well be screwed.

John peered through the corner of the teachers' lounge, and scampered around the doorway, just as Vernon was struggling to get something out of the vending machine.

"Come on," I hear Vernon's voice, "I know you're in there…" He was still struggling to get the item out of the box.

It was my turn to go around the doorway. _Oh boy, here we go… _

I peeked to see Vernon, now struggling more aggressively to get the item out of the box. "Come on! Get out of there!" he yelled.

As quickly as possible, I quietly sauntered across the doorway.

_Phew! What a relief!_ I immediately thought as Vernon was still distracted with the vending machine. I could feel John giving me a pat on the back, as a way of congratulating me for making it to the other side.

"Come on! My money's worth, goddammit!" I hear Vernon curse, reaching his hands in the box.

Claire peered to see Vernon distracted, before sauntering across the doorway and meeting up with me and John, who smirked at her. In return, she gave him a teasing smile.

"Come on, goddammit!" Vernon yelled, still fighting with the machine.

Andrew did the same thing as Claire, John and I did and made it across without gaining Vernon's attention.

Brian was next. We could all hear Vernon kicking the banging on the machine as Brian hesitantly looked at us four. A couple of seconds later, he ran across the doorway, making it to the other side, safe and sound.

"Jesus… this machine… Load of junk…" We could all hear Vernon.

_I get it, Vernon, this place is a dump. _I think to myself, _Why don't you stop what you are doing and renovate the place? It'll teach you how to actually manage and keep a school going lifelong._

Allison was last. Rather than peek to check on Vernon and make a dash for it, she walked in front of the doorway, a perfect opportunity for Vernon to take her down easily. She said nothing. She stared over to see Vernon, still fussing over the vending machine.

_I hope to god that he has his back turned!_ I think to myself, frantically. I know that if she gets caught, then that'll get ALL of us caught!

I saw that Brian was having a frantic look on his face too, wanting not to get caught on the account of her standing at the doorway. John was beckoning her to get across so that she wouldn't have to get all of us in trouble. Andrew had a look of doubt. Claire?

"She's nuts, but she's cool…" she whispered to us.

_If you think about it, maybe… _I thought to myself.

Already bored with staring at Vernon, Allison walked over to us, ready to follow us to wherever John was taking us.

As soon as we were far away from Vernon's eyesight and earshot, I turn to John. "I take it that was the teachers' lounge?" I whispered to him.

"Yeah." he said, "Only the _teachers_ are allowed to be in there…" he said in a mocking voice that would sound like he's making fun of the teachers, "I once got caught smoking in there…"

"How'd that end?" asked Brian.

John turned to the nerd, having a smirk on his face. "I got three weeks of detention, plus two weeks for setting off the fire alarm. Happened about a few months ago."

"_That's_ why midterm week was pushed to the week after Christmas!" Andrew pointed out, annoyed. "Got my holiday weekend cancelled because of your bullshit!"

"Why would you do that?" Claire asked.

"I had a migraine…" said John, "Couldn't go away, and it wasn't like I had medication form for the nurses to get help. Pot usually eases the pain…"

Claire was cringing. "You have issues…" she said.

Meanwhile, I had a bad feeling of what he might have when we go to his locker. _If he has that kind of shit, then I'm so outta here!_

John turned his attention back to me. He looked around and saw a set of doors. "That's the gymnasium." he pointed out to me, "Where all the nerds get their asses kicked by the sweaty dudes."

"I'm right here…" Brian and Andrew say simultaneously. They turn to each other, agitated, realizing that they had just said the exact same thing. "I was talking!" they argued, simultaneously, "Quit it, dude!"

John chuckled at the two's argument, before turning back and observing what else is in front of him.

"That's the weight room." he said, pointing to the room next door to the gym, "Where all the sweaty guys build their sweat."

"I would _not_ want to go there, unless you're out hunting for guys like me!" Brian complained.

I shook my head, "Ahh, you're just being paranoid." I say to him.

"Are you sure?!" Brian asked, raising his voice, in panic, "I mean, if shop class ain't bad for me, then physical education is the shits!"

_Oh crap!_ I get a realization. I, along with Claire, Andrew, and John look around frantically to see if Vernon or anyone else present in these halls would hear Brian's complaints. That would equal all of us another Saturday… or worse…? I signaled Andrew, Claire, or Allison as a way to have him shut his mouth.

"I-I mean, I can't even lift a 56 pounder, and there's no way I'd run on a treadmill withou-"

Brian's yapping was cut off by Andrew quickly placing his hands on his mouth, with Brian only murmuring something inexplicable. _Thanks, Andy…_

As we were walking, we start to hear a grown man singing very faintly.

"Oh shi-" Brian panics again, before Andrew and I cover his mouth.

Reacting accordingly to the grown man's singing and walking, we search frantically for a place to hide. _Welp, here comes a heaping batch of another Saturday… Or worse… _I thought. Just then, John pointed out to a door.

"Quick!" he whisper-yelled, "Inside!"

We all bolt in to find ourselves in a room filled with file cabinets, a printer, two copy machines, and a frame of an old man.

I go over to see the frame of the old man, reading the name on the bottom of the frame, "'Edward Shermson…'"

"He's the founder of this town…" whispered Claire.

"Guys, shhh!" John warns us.

Our attentions are directed to the source of the singing. The man was Carl, who was sweeping the floors with a broom, wearing pods that lead to a walkman.

It sounded like he was singing, "_Feel the city breakin' and everybody shakin', and we're stayin' alive, stayin' alive…_" he was singing, "_Ah ah ah ah, stain' alive, stayin' alive, ah ah ah ah,_"

By the tone of it, he sounded like he was putting less effort, unlike the Bee Gees, who actually could.

"_Stayin' aliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiive!_" he belted out in the most dramatic way possible. Looking to my right, I could see John and Brian cringe from the man's singing.

A few moments passed by waiting here, and Carl was out of sight. We could hear his singing drone further and further away from us. _Whew… What a relief._ John led the way again and walked out the copy room and back into the hallway, with me, Brian, Claire, Andrew, and Allison trailing behind.

"Oh, and Tim, that room in there? That's the copy room?" said John.

_You don't say, eh?_ I thought, with a sneer.

"Y'know, Carl always told me he wanted to be a singer…" murmured Brian.

I stared straight towards the wall, thinking about Carl again, _Geez, I guess when there was a point in his youth, he changed his mind about his dreams and started sleeping in his exes' cars, smoking pot and banging more chicks._

Suddenly, John speedwalks to a row of lockers. He stops right in front of us, spins around, wearing his trademark smirk on his face as usual, and folds his arms.

"Welp, we're here." he said.

We all looked around, curious on what he means on 'here'. All we were seeing were a bunch of lockers; one with a bunch of heart stickers on it, one with wiccan symbols, and one with a noose.

"What do you mean by we're here?" I ask him, "This where the tour ends?"

John didn't say anything. Instead, he looked at us, wearing a smirk that turned into a shit-eating grin. "This is where I make your dreams come true… with my secret!"

"What do you mean?" asked Claire.

Brian raised his hand, optimistic, "Do I become a genius?" he asked the tough guy. In a matter of three seconds flat, John's grin turned into a deadpan, as he gave off a leer towards the nerd. "Uh, I, I uh… I di- not like a-a genius or anything, b-but… well, you know what I mean." Brian started babbling.

_I swear_, I thought, _Brian's a good-natured kid, and he's seems so smart, but he always babbles like an idiot... _

John turned to me. "So new kid." he told me, "Can you guess which one of those lockers is mine?" he pointed to the lockers, specifically moving his finger left and right to the row of lockers, especially the heart locker, the wiccan locker, and the noose locker.

_Bah, that's a good question, sir!_

I think that because knowing John is a criminal who is abused by his parents daily, is always on Vernon's radar, and does drugs like God knows how much he does, he wouldn't have a girly locker with a bunch of hearts or any lovey-dovey crap, nor would he have a locker with symbols witches would only define. _If I were to guess who owns that locker, it would be Allison. I don't know._

So I pointed to the locker I thought was obvious for John to even have.

"The one with the noose!"

Just want to say that the locker with the noose also has letters written in permanent marker that says, 'Open this locker and you die'. Interesting because the first half of the sentence is on the top of the locker and the second half is on the bottom.

"Ding ding ding!" cheered John, "We have a winner!" He walks over to his locker and starts to unlock the bottom part of his locker, with the part that says 'and you die'. "Let's see what you have won here, sir…" he said with a smirk.

Finally unlocking it, my 'prize' was…

_A guillotine?!_

An actual guillotine falls down from the top of the locker and one of John's spare shoes that just so happened to be in there.

I stand back, shuddering, holding onto my throat, fearing the worst. _If I die today, then I'll make sure John doesn't go to my funeral… or Mark… or Vernon._

The locker reeks with smelly clothing and food that looked to be expired. I, along with everyone else, reacted accordingly to the stench.

"You're such a slob!" chastised Andrew.

"My maid's on vacation…" John said, sarcastically.

I give him a confused look, "You have a maid?"

John turned to face me while he was rummaging through his shit. "No, actually, I spend the money my parents sometimes give me on all this, but I don't have the time to actually give it its purpose." He looks through his locker and finds a really brown orange with a rotten odor, hinted with orange. "Like this orange. Don't need it anymore, not like I was plannin' on using it." He tossed the orange to the side.

I eyed over to Allison, who was staring at the orange intently. I could tell that she was going to do something with it. I just hope that she doesn't eat it, like she ate that yellowjacket corpse.

But my attention is laid back to John again, as he pulled out a lunch-sized paper bag, all covered in grease. _Ooh! Are there doughnut bites or french fries in there?_

John took out another paper bag from the lunch-sized bag, identical to it, but smaller, putting the other bag back in his locker. Then he took out another paper bag, which was smaller than the one before, putting the other bag it was in back in his locker. Then he took out a smaller plastic bag filled with grayish green or brown powdery substances. He put the other bag in his locker, and shut the door.

Looking at the substance with a closer look, I immediately go wide-eyed. I knew that it was…

"Drugs…" Brian stated what the substance was.

I'm both surprised and unsurprised at the same time... Unsurprised because that it was in his locker the whole time. Surprised because I started to wonder what we were going to get out of this whole 'field trip' - marijuana! _Now Vernon's gonna expel ALL of us!_

Andrew shook his head in disbelief about John having marijuana stuffed in his locker, "Screw that, Bender. Put it back!"

"Y'know I don't like where this is going man…" I say to him, concerned.

Brian nodded his head, agreeing with me. "Yeah, screw detention. We're all going to prison!"

"I'm warning you, man," Andrew says, his eyebrows lowering with each word he says, "Put it back!"

"Too late!" said John, stuffing the marijuana baggie in his pocket and walked off before Andrew could say anything else.

We could only look on in shock. "Drugs… that was marijuana…" said Brian, still in a panicked mood.

"Don't remind me…" said Andrew.

Brian turned to me, still feeling anxious. "Do you approve of this?" he asked me.

I look at Brian back, and I slowly shake my head. "Just say 'no' is kinda my policy…" I whisper to him.

John turns back to see all of us still standing at his locker. "Whatchya guys standing around for?" he asked us, "Let's get back to the library, and Vernon won't notice we were out."

With no other words said or given whatsoever, we all follow John with his baggie of marijuana.

As we kept walking, I could hear the sound of jangling from behind. I turn around and see Allison shaking John's lock, before it finally breaks off his locker and stuffs it in her bag.

_Literally, I have no words._ I thought. But I instantly realized that she's weird in her own way. We're all weird in our own special ways.


	15. Hallway to Hell

**12:47 p.m. - Shermer High School - Hallways**

As we walked down to another corridor of the hallways, we were still in shock that we went all this way to break so many rules and defy Vernon just to go to John's locker and get marijuana. _Man, why didn't I stay in the library like we were instructed? _I kept thinking to myself.

Andrew, who walked beside me, turned to me. "You know that Vernon's not gonna take any excuse if he catches us." he said to me, "And I bet he's gonna go harder on you."

I turn to the wrestler as I kept walking. I could tell that he was still concerned about me still being new at Shermer. I don't blame him at all. With me being new here, not a lot of people fully view me. Vernon being Vernon, he's always on the lookout for those who he thinks is trustworthy in his eyes. He's practically a hawk! If someone were new to Shermer, and they had screwed themselves a lot, then Vernon would immediately recognize this person as untrustworthy and unreliable. If they were to continue with their irresponsible behavior, whether it was intentional or not, then they would get the shittier end of the stick from Dick. And that person, unfortunately, ladies and gentlemen, is me. I like how Vernon is pissed at me for starting a fight and books me the next available seat to detention, but does not give a crap of Mark Grindon's self-centered, narcissistic bullshit. _It's like those two asshats might have something in common! Or could they be in a relationship?_

I nodded my head to Andrew, half-heartedly. At this point, I might as well run away from home…

John turned to me and Andrew. "Alright here's the scoop: we'll cross through the lab, and then we'll double back."

"You better be right," murmured Andrew, "'Cause if Vernon cuts us off, it's your fault, asshole."

John gave Andrew a mocking smile, before turning back to see what was in front of him.

"What'd he say?" I hear Brian behind me ask, "Where are we going?!" Claire shushed him before he could complain even more.

We turned left. Walking to a T-shaped junction of the hallways, we walk passed the corridor, where something catches our eye and we see…

_HOLY SHIT NO!_

Vernon, with his back turned, was strutting right along the corridor. He was unaware of the fact that WE WERE RIGHT BEHIND HIM!

As soon as we saw him, we bolted forward to get out of his sight. We sprinted like there was a fire alarm going off and tried to find the nearest corridor to the library. As we progressed forward, we saw an arrow pointing back towards us, and a sign that said 'Library', underneath a bunch of arrows and texts. Instantly, we turned around.

We passed Allison, who was leaning against the lockers, overlooking the hallway Vernon walked. I peered over to see if he was there; he wasn't.

We all kept running and running throughout each and every corridor. We were trying to find our ways back to the library before Vernon, or anyone really, would discover our absence in the library.

_I'm a dead bitch..._ I kept thinking. Andrew might be right. Vernon might go hard on me if he catches us all, and next thing that's gonna happen to me, I'm gonna get expelled! _My life will be over!_

We all saw a corridor, and as soon as we turned, we saw Vernon again! He was walking sideways at the hallway on the other side. Each of us skidded and immediately ran back the way we came from.

_Good god! _I thought to myself in a frantic hustle, _Where the hell is the library?!_

A couple more seconds of running, and we head to a t-shaped hallway corridor. We were about to turn there, until we see Vernon (again!) drinking from the water bubbler. I ran forward.

I reached another corridor, where I turned back and saw the rest of the group running the opposite direction. I wanted to yell at them where they were going, but I knew that Vernon was near (or any other staff member nearby). That would get me in trouble…

_Welp… I'm on my own… _I thought, feeling like I've lost this battle.

I took off to other hallways, trying to find my way back to the library. I felt like the others are gonna get mad at me for ditching them. At this point, I don't know what to do. Should I leave them, or should I go down with them, if they got caught? I don't know…

I run down a lot of other hallways, until I start to hear someone singing. Skidding and almost falling on my face, I land straight to the corner.

_I'm a dead man now… Yes I am… _I braced for the inevitable.

I look and see Carl, still wearing his walkman, mopping the floors. He was singing (offkey) another song, "_He's burnin'... Fire in the Twilight! He's burnin'... turnin', to lead us, away!_"

I started tiptoeing. I see that Carl is mopping the floors, his head turned away from me. I knew that if I made any sudden movement, I'd be caught and dead. I was bracing myself though. I was hoping that by some miracle, I'd make it past him and find my way back to the library.

As soon as I got halfway past him, he splashed his mop into the bucket next to him. He turned to the other side, not even noticing me (for some reason), and started mopping that part of the floor. He started singing some more, "_Takin' a break, from the role of the everyday boy!_"

I started tiptoeing again, but I went faster, hoping that he wouldn't notice me while he was doing his job. I peeked back to make sure he didn't turn his head towards me. And…

_Thank god!_ I thought, as he kept singing, "_The man who leads the way!_", mopping the floors.

As soon as I was away from him, I bursted and ran straight throughout the hallways, running up a staircase. I was also frantically searching for the other guys. They're all gonna be screwed! Or just me…

Seconds of running throughout the really old, lameass campus felt like forever. I was still worried about everyone else, and where the hell they might be. I mean, Andrew was right! I'm practically new here, and by any chance, Vernon might catch me, and my life here would be cut short! I could call their names out, but my ass would be toast.

I turn to a long hallway, with several doors beyond. But from all the running, I had to stop for a few seconds to catch my breath. I felt like I was about to collapse. I started to wonder if I _did_ in fact collapse on the floor. Vernon, Carl, or any of the others might discover me, get me to a hospital, and then Vernon would come to my bedside, and hand me a punishment for ditching the library. _Life is just swell, isn't it?_

Suddenly, I start hearing footsteps. I peer from a corner, and I see Vernon walking from the other end of the hallway. My heart starts jumping beats. _FUCK! _I wildly thought.

Immediately, I start speed-walking trying to find a door that would open up and get me to hide from the vice principal with horns. I tried the first door - locked. I tried the second door - also locked. I tried the third door - take a guess. I dare ya to!

I hear Vernon's footprints come closer and closer. There was one more door ahead of me. I started praying for both the good and bad. Three doors I tried to open, the fourth might or might not.

I sauntered over there, and… it opened up! As soon as it did, I swooped in. And as soon as I got in, the door quietly closed.

Vernon's footsteps were heard not from afar. I could hear him walking and walking. I could hear him murmur something to himself, but I wasn't able to comprehend what he said. I took a couple of seconds to survey the room I'm in; a classroom with a few computers, and a printer. There was also a green chalkboard, with a headline saying 'Study for World Geography test on Monday' that hasn't been erased yet. I was about to think of something, but I can't right now.

I heard the footsteps Vernon made get closer from the other side. _Dear god! I better make it out okay! _Eventually, he crossed.

Now I could hear his footsteps drift further away, until I couldn't hear them anymore. _Phew! I'm in the clear!_

I wait several seconds to make sure he was gone. Eventually, I open the door, and peer to see the empty hallway. It was all clear as crystals. I'm now well on my way back to the library.

As I jet out of the classroom and back into the hallway, I felt someone grab me by the back. Immediately, I knew it was Vernon. I didn't know what to do. All I did was yell, "Ack! I'm sorr-", but I feel my mouth get covered up by another hand.

I was forced around, and I saw Allison, Claire, Brian, and Andrew. That was when I knew that the person who was holding on to me was John. _Happy to see you all here, guys… And also not caught._

"What's the matter with you?!" I heard John hiss at me, "Ditchin' us like that?" I turn around and see John, who was steaming steam at me.

"I-I'm sorry man." was all I could say, "I didn't mean to-"

"Quit horsin' around, _new kid_!" said John, "Just stick with us from here on out!"

_Man… _I thought to myself, _I'm glad that I'm not in even more shit._

John and Andrew took off first, as I looked at the ones who were still staring at me. Two seconds later, we bolted after them.

And as I was running with them, I kept thinking to myself, _Thank god it was John and the others that found me than Vernon, or any other staff member. It's good to be back._

We all kept hurrying around, turning left and right, running down a staircase. We turned right towards another hallway, but I saw a sign up above that points _left _to the library. _Wrong way… _I thought, nervously.

"Wait!" I hear John say as we kept running, "Wait, hold it, hold it!" he said again. We all slowed down as he pointed back to the direction back the other way. "We have to go through the cafeteria." he said.

_Thank you! That's what I would say too!_ I thought.

"No, the activities hall!" Andrew argued.

"Hey man," John tried to reassure the letterman, "You don't know what you're talking about."

"No, _you_ don't know what you're talking about!" Andrew fired back.

To my right, Allison squealed… for some reason.

"No, we're through listening to you!" Andrew stated to the burnout.

"Guys, I think he has a point!" I try to say, "I mean-"

"Aw, gimme a break, Tim!" an exasperated Andrew fired towards me, "You don't know jack! You and Bender will get us going 'round in circles again! I'm tired of this bullshit!" He took a few steps back, "We're going this way!" He turned to his side, but his head was directed towards the two of us, "You two go where you want, mother hens…" he murmured, before running that direction. "Come on!" he called out to us.

Brian and Claire followed him, leaving me, John, and Allison. John and I did nothing but stare at each other in disbelief. I knew that he was right in going through the caf.

Allison turned to us, angry for some reason. She stomped backwards, grunting with each step, before turning back to run with the others. _What? You want us to put up a good fight against Andrew?_

John and I followed suit, needless to say. I mean, we'd go and save our skins, but I guess it was better to stick with everyone else at all times. If they get caught, we all get caught. What difference would it make?

For the next minute or so, we kept running and running around campus some more. I felt like I was in a horror game running around the empty hallways with five other people. I started to wonder, _Are we EVER gonna get back to the library in one piece?!_

Eventually, we saw a sign saying 'Activities Hall ahead', and we bolted over. But something unfortunate cuts us off; an iron gate.

John and Andrew ran ahead to see if they could lift it up and get us all across. _Yeah, like that would work… _I sarcastically thought. Surprise surprise, they tried to shake it open with their hands, it didn't work.

"Shit!" exclaimed Andrew.

I turned to the sport-freak, with a sarcastic look on my face, "Nice goin', jagoff…" I say to him.

Andrew turned to me, steamed, "Like _you'd_ do any better!"

Claire spun around towards him, "You fucking idiot! We shoulda gone with him and John!" she complained.

I chuckled a bit when she said that.

"Shut up…" I heard Andrew whisper.

"We're dead!" Brian complained.

I turned to him. And by the look in his eyes, it sounded like he was right. Boy oh boy, we're in for some of Vernon's thick skin. As soon as he sees us all, he's gonna go hardcore. He would put a dent in my file without any hesitation! He'd do it to ALL of us! I don't think there's any possibility we might survive this. I take in a heavy sigh, preparing for the inevitable.

Suddenly, I hear John say, "No. Just me."

We all turn to see him. We thought he was crazy out of his mind. "What?" I ask him.

"What do you mean?" asked Brian.

John turned to me. "Get back to the library!", he said, leaning his head towards mine, "And lead everyone the _right _way!"

I didn't know what else to do. I knew he was talking about going through the cafeteria. All I did was nod, hoping to go back the way he and I wanted to go through.

John turned to Brian, "And you," he took out his bag of drugs, "Keep your unit on this!" he shoved the bag into Brian's pants.

_Shouldn't that even be illegal?_

Without another word given, John rushed out. He started bellow-singing, "_I wanna be an airborne ranger_-" he kept singing lyrics I would not care to memorize, as he turned back left.

"He's gonna distract Mr. Vernon." said Brian, obviously feeling uncomfortable with the drugs in his pants.

"That's _his_ funeral." a stoic Andrew stated, "Vernon's gonna bury the coffin by the end of today."

We turn to see the jock, offended and shocked he would say that. We knew that John took a moment to sacrifice himself for us all. _How the holy fuck are you not getting it, Andrew?!_

I sarcastically chuckle, "Yeah, okay sir…" I start to walk ahead of the others, still in disbelief with Andrew.

"What?" asked Andrew, "He's been nothing but trouble! He even teased you into having these seizures earlier!"

I spun around to the jock, "What about you, man?" I argued, "What could _you_ have done in Bender's shoes?"

"Easy." he said, "I'd clean my ass up, and I'd get a fuckin' scholarship!" He caught up to me and had his head turned towards mine, "Besides, I didn't want to come along on this whole 'field trip', but of course, ya _had_ to get me swayed!"

"Mmm-_hm_." I say, with doubt, "Right, he swayed _all_ of us!"

"He has a point." Claire pointed out to Andrew.

"You seem like the perfect guy to take on Dick Vernon!" I say to Andrew, "Walk the walk, _you_ go and make his pants shrivel!"

Andrew turned to me, still upset, "And piss away my chance for a scholarship?!" he asked, before holding up his left hand, "I'll pass on that, thank you very much!"

I tried to ignore him, but then he continued, "Ya know, I don't even care if you get expelled from this school or not, man. I wouldn't be surprised if someone came up and threw you in a ditch and left ya there!"

Remembering Carl's haunting words about me getting beat up by thugs in his 'future scenarios' instantly filled my head upon hearing this. I could feel myself twitch, my heart beating rapidly.

I spun around to the jock, seeing red, "LISTEN SCRUB!" I growled, "You want me to make you lose your scholarship?! Cause I-"

"Stop fighting!" I hear someone feminine shout.

Andrew and I turn to Claire, who, along with Brian, was looking at someone else. But she just looked at us and shook her head, as if she were trying to tell us that she didn't say anything. We turned over to see Allison, with her hands clenched into fists, a glare on her face.

"Just. Get us back!" the dark girl grumbled.

We were shocked. Outside of her little introduction way back, this was the first time she has said something. _Well, it looks like this girl did have a voice, _I thought. Before, we saw her as a darkened, silent young woman who just did weird shit and had a wild imagination. She tried to take John's knife (which I took first), and then nearly got herself, me, and John expelled from Shermer. She stole stuff from a teacher's locker, and John's lock for his locker! I thought that she would grow up as an artist, a baseball catcher, or even a crazy chef! And she's the girl that Carl said that would grow up as a poet NOBODY would notice, and would get walked over all the time! But when she yelled at both me and Andrew to shut up, I knew that she had a voice. I knew that she'd care enough to try and shut us up so that we couldn't be in deeper shit than before.

Andrew and I looked at each other, and we knew that it was time for us to stop yelling at each other and hightail it back to the library.

"Lead the way, Tim…" said Andrew, "Come on…"

I lead the way with everyone else on my tail. We started running back the way we usually went. As soon as we got to the spot where John and Andrew argued, I saw the sign that said 'Cafeteria up ahead'.

"C'mon." I say to the rest, "Let's go!"

I turn right on the corridor, but up ahead, I see a cross junction. I hear footsteps, and see Vernon running past the other hallways. "Where the fuck is he?" he murmured, talking about John. Surprisingly, he didn't notice us at the other end.

When his footsteps went further away, we all made it across, and headed through the cafeteria, navigating through all the folded-up tables and uncleaned messes on the floor.

Eventually, we passed the 'Man of the Year' plaque and found the entrance to the library. _We made it!_ I thought, ecstatically.

As everyone else was heading inside, I could hear someone from a far distant yell, "Bender! Bender! Bender!"

I knew that Vernon finally caught him. I was concerned about what his fate was gonna be. I was hoping the very least he would get more detentions, but probably on the weekdays. But then I thought that maybe he'd get suspended, or even expelled! If that happens, his parents, his dad more likely, is gonna lynch him! I gulped to myself on the thought of that.

I feel someone tug my arm. I turn to see who that was - Claire! "C'mon, Tim." she reassured me, "He'll be okay. Hopefully…" I looked concerned, but she patted my back and gently pushed me in. "Let's just stay in here for now."

Claire and I walk back to our desks. And right now, I don't know what's gonna happen to him. He's been living through shit at home, he's gonna live through the dragon known as Richard Vernon. God, I could imagine the dude getting the flames from the red, angry bull… _Gulp… _


	16. Things Get Heated

**12:59 p.m. - Shermer High School - Library**

We all sat back in our seats, anticipating John's return.

"Man…" I said, "He better come back soon…"

Claire turned to me. "Relax." she said to me, "He'll be back."

"Or not." a blunt Andrew said, "Vernon ain't kidding when he said 'Don't mess with the bull, or you'll get the horns'."

"Andy…" Claire murmured, agitated with his words.

I looked at my paper, filled with god knows how many words I have. I didn't know what was going to happen. All I know is that John has gotten into deep shit with Vernon this time.

Brian looked over to us with a worried expression on his face and said, "This is so stupid! We should've just stayed here!"

I turned to him, "I hear ya man, but there's nothing we could've done. Like I said, John's got us all-"

Suddenly, we all hear the sound of the doors opening. Vernon marched in with John in tow. As soon as we saw him, Andrew, Claire, and Brian shushed me not to say anything else.

"Come on, get your stuff!" Dick ordered the boy to his table, "Let's go!"

_Oh god, is he expelled?_ I thought the worst.

As John walked to his table, Vernon stopped dead in front of us. "Mr. Wiseguy here has taken it upon himself to the gymnasium." he said to us, "I'm sorry to inform you, you're going to be _without_ his services for the rest of the day."

John threw his jacket on top of the table. "B-O-O-H-O-O…" he mocked, taking his seat.

Vernon threw the burnout a glare. "Everything's a big joke, huh Bender?" he questioned, "The false alarm you pulled Friday; false alarms are really funny, aren't they?!"

We stared at Vernon as he was lashing out. "What if your home- what if your family…" Vernon paused, wondering what he should have to say. Eventually the words came out to him as he pointed straight towards John, "What if your _dope_ was on fire?"

_Sweet Jesus!_ I kept thinking, _I didn't know Vernon thought so much about John…_

"Impossible sir." said a careless John, "It's in Johnson's underwear…"

I looked over to Brian, and he was immediately scared. He thought that John was throwing him under the bus. I remembered that he had the marijuana in his pants, and if he got caught, then he'll be the one expelled! He'll be joining John in the streets without a school to go to. I became nervous too. I thought that would be it for both of them.

"Alright come on guys…" I tried to defuse the tension, albeit my voice was shaking, "This, this whole thing I feel like- no, I just feel like…" I saw Vernon's glare gazing hard at me, and everyone else was nervous that I was in the spotlight. John did nothing to stop me from talking. "I just feel like we need to take a step back and calm down… Okay?" I finished my thoughts.

"You think this ain't a big deal?" Vernon said to me, "You think it's all average, is that it?"

I shook my head, "I didn't mean tha-"

"Lemme tell you something." he pointed to me, "Make excuses for him all you want- no, look at him. He's a _bum_."

John looked back at me, the look on his face telling me to snap out of defending him.

"Still think this ain't a big deal?" Vernon asked all of us, pointing to John, "You go visit John Bender in five years!" John's face lit up. It sounded like the words leaving his mouth were entering John's feelings. "You'll see how much of a big deal he has been!"

I shook my head. I don't believe that John would go to prison. It's bad enough his life is in the shits at home with his parents, but if he went to jail? _Would that be the end for him?_ I thought some more.

I glared at the ruthless vice principal. "You wanna hear a big deal, old man?" I said to him.

John turned his head back to me. "Tim, no…" he warned me. Everyone else was gazing at me, motioning me not to say anything else.

"Just a sec, man." I tell him.

Vernon advanced towards my table. "What is it, Camm?" he grumbled, "Say it or hold your tongue!"

"Why don't _you_ leave the dude alone!" I tell him.

"Or what?"

"Sounds like you don't understand what he's going through!" I say it to him, "He's-"

"I don't understand?" Vernon questioned me, "Here's what I don't understand: I don't understand how a fresh-from-the-city yahoo like _you_ is sticking up for Bender of all people!" My glare intensifies as he was still talking, "Did you not hear what I just said about him, young man? He's a bum! He's a sorry excuse for a _human being_!"

The look in John's face was horrifying to see. On one hand, I could see him trying to shut me up. On another hand, he was pissed. Pissed at Vernon for making his life a living hell. I get that he likes being in detention away from his shithole parents, but I believe Vernon's the enemy here.

I couldn't help it. I've had enough of this guy. He gave me an unfair detention, he let Mark Grindon get away, he ruined my Saturday, he ruined everyone's Saturday, he's been a total asshole to everyone… I HAD to do something.

"Yeah, you're no bargain either, bub!" I argued, my eye twitching with fury.

"Mr. Camm," Vernon sternly informed me, "If you even have the gall to make one more sentence outta your mouth, I'll-"

"You're gonna do what?!" I exclaimed, standing up, "Give me another detention? Sue me and my family? Deport me back to the _fuckin_ city?! Is that what you want?!" I could feel some tense flashbacks of bigger people cornering me, robbing and beating me. If this is what Vernon believes about city people, then he should've seen for himself the total pain I went through in the streets.

Vernon stood with a snarl on his face as he was getting a piece of my mind.

In my mind, however, I could feel my own pulse beating steadily. I felt like I was going to have another seizure. But I shook it off and glared hard at the jerkass vice principal and told him, "Look sir, you have NO idea what I've gone through! Neither me or John! If you even tried to stand in my shoes, you'd feel something!"

"Well here's something I feel about you and your own _kind_, young man!" Vernon fought back, "You city people are just rats, always bouncin' from that big hole you live in, scurrying around and making our lives shit! D'you even know how many headaches I get from Chicagoers driving around Shermer? Or how many of them I see smoking on the streets while I'm waltzing to get a nice Joe?!" As Vernon was talking, I could feel my pulse beat faster. But this did not stop Vernon whatsoever, "You rats have ALL the accessories from that giant filthhole! What more do you want, even?!"

"A NEW LIFE!" I yelled, "I just want a NEW FUCKING LIFE! Is that too much to ask?! You're punishing ME for trying to stand up for myself, and yet you let Mark fucking Grindon loose! He mocked me and my classmates and you're still giving HIM a PASS!" I could feel a tear stream down my cheek. _Vernon's such a fucking asshole…_

"Do NOT bring Mark Grindon into this, young man!" roared the red vice principal, jabbing a finger at me, "YOU were the one who was harassing him, and that's why you're here! Get it through before I gash a hammer into your thick skull and fix it for you!"

Everyone gasped. They were stunned to hear those words out of Vernon's mouth. I knew he was an ignorant sow. In fact, everyone did. But I never thought that he'd threaten violence on me. _Vernon, you asshole. You are scum of the universe…_ My posture was, sure enough, dwindling by a thread. It's bad enough that street thugs and even people back on the streets in general have treated me to this kind of shit, but

I could see Andrew standing up, with a firm look on his face, but I could tell that he was shaking. "Alright, that's enough, guys." he tried to say, "Just stop yelling!"

Vernon, fast as a cheetah, turned his head towards the jock. "You wanna butt out of this, Clark?!" He pointed a menacing finger at him.

Andrew flinched at the sight of his finger. He saw me, before doing something I had called him out on not doing before, "Alright, seriously sir." he said, "You're being a huge asshole to Tim! Cut the fire, man!"

I did not believe what was happening! Someone was standing up for me. I thought Bender would do something first, but Andrew? No way!

Vernon shook his head. "You want me to phone your father? You want me to see what he's gotta say about this whole endeavor?" he questioned the jock, "Soon you'll never be going to Yale or Michigan or wherever else! You'll just live like a sad sack loser!"

I noticed Andrew was starting to sweat when Vernon had mentioned his father. He wanted to say something else, but he just sat there. He was scared, which I found unbelievable for a stoic jock like him, even though I've only met him a few hours in.

Claire stood up, concerned, "Please, sir…" she said, "Give them a rest…"

"Save it, queen!" Vernon shouted at Claire, "I'll phone your parents too!" At that moment, Claire's face went red. She looked like she was about to cry.

"Mr. Vernon, please… stop!" Brian tried to tell him, nervous.

But Vernon was clearly in the middle of his fury episode. He spun around towards the nerd. "You want to be here next Saturday too, wuss?!" he barked, "I'll book it for ya if I have to!"

Brian jerked back from the man's fury. His face started to go red, and tears were welling up in his eyes from getting screamed at by the vice principal.

I heard a squeak. I turn and see it was Allison, who stood up. She had her finger by her lips, trying to tell him to shush.

"Don't you shush me, woman!" he barked. I saw Allison's face turning white as a ghost, before tears started to form in her eyes as well. At that point, I was done with him. I was breathing heavily, my heartbeat getting louder and louder with every word out of this man's mouth hitting us.

"Seriously man…" I hear a blunt Bender say, "You need to lay off everyone! You're acting like a baby right now!"

Vernon sputtered like a car engine in shock and disgust. "SHUT YOUR FUCKING MOUTH JOHN BENDER!" he roared, "This shit over here," he furiously pointed at me, "Thinks that you ain't a big deal, how you're always the shit around here! I'm surprised you haven't even _killed_ that fucker yet! Wouldn't be any of my concern, 'cause he's NOTHING but a piece of ROADKILL!"

I don't know what the hell happened next. With all the pressure and fury I had coming to its boiling point, I went rogue. I was done with this evil man and his abusive ways. He reminded me so much of the punks and thugs from the North Side, and even Mark Grindon.

As soon as I found my head, I saw everyone going agape at me. By the look of it, they were all shocked at something I have done.

I saw Vernon, who stepped back a few inches to the empty table in the front. I saw a chair that laid right in between John's table and Andrew and Claire's table. It wasn't at a point where something broke off of it, but it definitely looked like someone had thrown it. It wasn't John or Andrew, for all I know.

But after finding my head, I remembered the evil things Vernon has said about everyone, how abusive he was to me and the rest of the group. My rage that built from the moment Mark Grindon had harassed me, to when Vernon had given me detention, and from Vernon belittling us from the beginning, to how he furiously insulted all of us right now, had exploded.

"**SHUT THE FUCK UP, DICKSHIT VERNON!**" I could feel my voice shake as I roared at the bull, "I have HAD it with you and your abusive ways! Can't you see I just want to get a BETTER LIFE, FOR FUCKS SAKE?! Can't you see _ALL_ of us are on borrowed FUCKIN' time THEMSELVES?! You know what, you'll NEVER see anything even if it pierced ya through your THICK SKULL of yours! You'll never understand the SHIT I've had to endure back in the SHIT CITY! And you'll never do me ANYTHING like you've done with Mark FUCKIN' Grindon! I've had it all the fuckin' way up to here with your BULLSHIT, all the way up to Mount Vesuvius! Pieces of shit like you oughta DIE a RATCHET DEATH, and I oughta bring your boy toy Mark with you, YOU HOSER! **_FUCK YOU!_**"

At that point, I noticed everyone staring at me in even more shock. Who were to think of someone standing up to a scumbag like Richard Vernon? Apparently I did it… Even John was shocked to see me in this sort of state. He knew he wouldn't take on Vernon without laying facts onto him, but a new kid like me? To him, it really must have sounded preposterous until now.

Vernon was paralyzed with shock, seeing a street rat like me go berserk.

Meanwhile, I wish I was in a better state myself. Screaming my head off at Vernon, I felt both dizzy and angry. I was panting, and I could tell that I was both exhausted from the screaming, and furious from his gross behavior. _I don't care… It's his own fault he did this… He should've just listened to reason instead of blowing back at me._ I felt like the jerk who verbally fought back his attackers.

Just then, Vernon marched over to my table. I thought he was about to attack me, as I started to ball my hands into fists, shaking without any control I had over them. At that point, I might wail on Vernon. I might not care if I'm gonna go to jail, nevermind get expelled from the school.

As Vernon stood in front of me, eyeing hard at me, a glare that would rival my own, I was about to take him on. If he lashed onto me, then it'd be game over for him. There are five other people who'd witness it, and they'll have my back over his. But at a moment like this, I wasn't going to let down and have a grown-ass man throw me down and beat me down until death. I was going to defend myself this time around.

I saw him raise a hand. _Oh brother… Here he comes…_ I thought, anticipating the first strike.

"Don't you even…" I hear John tell him.

But then Vernon's hand went down towards my table as he swiped my essay paper off and held it up. _What?_ I thought.

Vernon stared hard at it before he started reading out loud, "_Dear Mr. Vernon…_"

I did not know what the hell happened next. All I know was Vernon was reading my essay out loud, in front of everyone else. I was just stunned.

"_I know that I am new here to this school, and I know that I have screwed myself up on my first day of classes…_" he kept reading. He stopped to glare at me, before he continued, "_But starting a new leaf here is an interesting opportunity for me to seize, and I never intended on trying to stir mayhem here. I want to assure you that I am much better than what you have seen the day I got myself detention_."

He kept on reading, and the others were just looking at him in disbelief. They knew that he was a jackass, but they were under the impression that he would never do stuff like this. Meanwhile, I was sweating. I felt like I was ready to bring Vesuvius over this evil animal.

Vernon kept on skipping words and paragraphs, "_I just started out as a kid from the city, roaming across the streets, sensitive to the light of what everyone views me and each other. I have the heart of gold, and I would always let people in whenever they needed some love or comfort. I feel that there is a lot of love in the world, even though I was born in a place where I thought I could see people like me_."

He started skipping more paragraphs, "_I am very passionate with what I do, and what I want to do to help people_." He skipped to another part, "_I thought attending Shermer High would be beneficial for me, so that I can get a better view of what I would do to start planning for my future. I feel upbeat meeting new people, and participating in school and social activities_." He skipped to yet another part, "_What you saw was not the real me. And I feel guilty for doing that. At some times, I get very insulted when certain people hurt me, and it causes me to lash out. I'm sorry if I did that, but I want to start fresh and start all over with you_."

Vernon had enough reading my essay. He gripped the paper firmly, glaring at me hard.

"Do you think that after what had happened yesterday, that I would see you as a good person?" he asked me, darkly.

I still didn't say anything. I didn't have the guts to say anything. Each time I wanted to say something, my voice couldn't help build up the words.

"You think that after screaming at Mark Grindon, in front of everyone in your last class, you're still innocent? You think he's still a piece of shit?!" he asked me, "I bet you aren't sorry about what happened! In fact, you're not what this essay explains you to be! You're just a stupid, sleezy, gaudy street rat!"

As my face changed colors, I could see Brian looking on shocked and Andrew shaking his head in disbelief. He was glaring hard at Vernon.

"And this… essay…" he grumbled, "Is full of shit as you are!" He took his two fingers to the top middle of the paper. Without even thinking of any other option, he slowly moved his fingers down, making a rip in the middle of the paper, before…

**_RRRRRIPPPP_**!

Vernon held one part of the essay in his left hand, and another on his right hand. I couldn't believe it seeing it, _My effort to help convince Vernon that I'm not all that bad that he usually sees me. My piece of honesty and wanting to explain that what I did yesterday was never something I actually intended. My apology to Vernon for what I did wrong. It's all meaningless now…_

Suddenly, I felt wrong. I felt my mind start to deteriorate and my anger falter into an unknown. I was too exhausted to do anything yet, and too shocked to fight back against Vernon. I could pass out at any moment. But it wasn't like Vernon was gonna care. I don't think he ever will.

"What's the matter, Tim?" the jerk taunted, "You gonna cry?" Still, I said nothing. I wasn't able to use my voice or utter something. All I could do was stay silent and stunned, "March your ass outta that seat! You're coming with me too!"

For a few seconds, I did nothing. I was still like a statue, my mind foggy. I couldn't even move any of my limbs. I could only think about how twisted Vernon is, and even Mark. They're both scum, hurting me, dragging me down into detention, making me feel I'm not wanted. And I didn't want to lash out and blow up an anger bomb onto them, but the way they were ragging on me, it made me feel distressed. In some ways, it reminded me of getting beat in the city. All the anger I held from those guys beating me up and harassing me, I unleashed it all onto Vernon. Now, I could do nothing but think about how much of a dirtbag he is.

Just then, I felt my shirt getting dragged by one of his death-gripping hands. I felt myself limp. I didn't do anything to fight back from him. I just let him drag me across the floor, my legs sweeping across.

"Let's go." I hear him tell John.

"Hey keep your FUCKIN' hands off me!" I hear John yell at him. I assumed that Vernon had tried to touch him. "I expect better manners from you, Dick!"

And Vernon continued to drag me to god knows where. I couldn't even pay attention to what the others were feeling, or what they were thinking.

I could hear John say something, "For better hallway vision!".

As we were near the library exit, I was remembering what had happened before, very faintly. I tried to take on the bull, and yet I'm the one getting the horns…

_Hell, here I come._ I thought.


	17. The Slaughtering

**1:05 p.m. - Shermer High School - Shermer Library**

Dizzy, angry, exhausted… Words cannot describe how I felt after screaming at Vernon to get bent. Now, I was a dead man. _Here comes the guillotine… I'm gonna die soon._

I felt my shirt dragged upon by the angry vice principal. I was inches away from getting the shaft; expulsion. No way am I ever gonna show my face around Shermer again, not with Dick in my view.

I could hear someone knock over a bunch of machines, before I heard a door slam. Then I felt myself getting dragged through the doorway and into the hallway. I felt my vision blurry out for what seemed like a few seconds. When it started to regain, I could hear some rough conversation from Vernon and John.

* * *

**1:05 p.m. - Shermer High School - Vernon's Office**

I was in his office alright.

"Ass in that seat, young man!" I could hear Vernon's voice bark at me.

"Hey man, ease off of him, alright?" I heard Bender's voice, trying to reassure the man.

"Get back!" I heard him say, before I felt my arms get grabbed by forceful hands, and then I saw myself facing the front of Vernon's office, seeing all the stuff I saw from his office earlier when he confronted all of us about the knife. I saw that knife stabbed into his desk. Before I knew it, I was shoved by the bull's rough hands into a chair.

I could do nothing to fight back against him. Not after everything that went down in the library; my rage that roared throughout the library, Vernon reading my essay and tearing it up. One second, I was ready to slaughter the bull. The next, I was a sheep ready to get pummeled.

"What's the matter with you?" I hear Vernon ask me, "Stay in that seat, I'll be dealing with you next!"

My eyes wander around, wearily, as I see to my side a door to Vernon's closet closing, with John cornered. I couldn't do anything. It was like I was paralyzed.

As soon as I heard the door shut, I could hear Vernon talk with the burnout, "That's the last time, Bender. That's the last time you ever make me look bad in front of those kids, do you hear me?"

_That man's insane… _I thought to myself. My mind has started to regain consciousness, and I was fearing for John now. That man's messed up at home, with his neglectful mother and his douchebag old man. But Vernon's really laying it out to him. I don't care if he likes being in detention better than home. With Vernon here, monitoring it, I just can't afford to hear the man bully him and screw with his life more.

But I still listened to the bull's words, "I make $31,000 dollars a year and I have a home, and I'm not _about_ to throw it away on some punk like you or that city rat out there…"

My arms started to shake with fury. I knew he was talking about me. I tried to keep it together, but any moment, I would blow up, get over to the closet, and obliterate that bull.

But as I kept on thinking about that thought, the more paralyzed I felt. I could only do nothing but be shocked with what Vernon is laying on John. I was forced into a chair, and all I could do was listen.

"But someday, man, someday." I kept listening to Vernon's words as I thought he would maybe kill him, "When you're outta here and you've forgotten all about this place… And they've forgotten all about you and you're wrapped up in your own pathetic life…"

I got nervous for him. I was worried Vernon might pull the trigger on him.

"I'm gonna be there…" I heard him say, "That's right. And I'm gonna kick the living shit out of you, man. I'm gonna _knock_ your dick in the dirt!"

I was beyond mortified with the man's words. Yes, John's a troublemaker, but Vernon has no idea what the hell he's going through himself. He has a shitass dad and a bitch for a mom, and both of them are making his home life hell. I almost felt like I was gonna clutch my hand into a fist, punch a hole through the door, grab Vernon by the throat, and go apeshit on this guy until he draws blood.

Vernon, to me, was slowly sounding like the epitome of a rancid street thug. I've been threatened by those street thugs back in the North Side, like if I didn't let them rob me, or if they were demanding me to smoke cocaine with them. Oftentimes, I've escaped with them hounding after me, but other times, I was beaten. I could take a scrap or a knock off the bones, but some of those fights resulted in me getting either drawing blood or getting bruised. I almost got blinded one fight, and in another I was nearly crippled. I couldn't imagine what the hell Vernon was gonna do with John right now.

I could hear John's voice from the other side, "Are you threatening me?"

My heart started racing. I could tell since I was hearing its beat.

"What are you gonna do about it?" I hear Vernon's voice again, "You think anybody's gonna believe you? You think anybody's gonna take your word over mine? I'm a man of respect around here. They love me around here, I'm a swell guy! You're a lying sack of shit, you and that halfpint sitting out there, and everybody knows it!"

_Kill him… _I could hear my mind echo through, _Kill that bastard… _

I couldn't. As much as he could talk shit about me or John or anyone else, I didn't have the energy to give him a piece of sense. He sounded like the punks back in the Windy City, and John was the guy who's about to get a scrap off the prick. _He's me. _I thought some more.

"Oh you're a real tough guy…" I hear Vernon some more, as I hear something fall over from the other side.

_You better not… _I thought, grimacing hard at the door. I thought if Bender got beaten to shits by Vernon.

"Get on your feet pal!" I hear Vernon yell, "Let's find out how tough you are! I wanna know right now, how tough you are!"

I saw red. Dark red. My hand was clasping into a fist.

"I'll give you the first punch, let's go! Come on! I'll give you the first punch! Let's go. Come on, right here, just take the first shot!"

_He expects the dude to give HIM the first shot?!_ My mind was bubbling with fury and shock.

"Please, I'm begging you, take a shot! Come on, just take one shot, that's all I need, just one swing…" I hear the man taunting.

A few seconds go by, and I start to hear… nothing. Nobody's beating each other up, nobody's hurting each other. I don't hear John screaming back at Vernon to get laid on something or whatever… I just hear… nothing.

"That's what I thought…" I hear his dark voice, "You're a gutless turd…"

A few seconds later, I see Vernon opening the door, glaring hard at me. Words just cannot describe how much hate I have for this sick fuck. He had his gray suit off, only wearing his black shirt on his torso.

As soon as Vernon shut the door and locked it, he looked at me and said, "Get your ass outta that seat, mister!"

As much as I wanted to do something, either talk back at Vernon or do what he tells me to do, I was too deflated. As angry as I was at him for shitting on John, I couldn't do anything. I felt too paralyzed to do something.

"I said get your ass OUT of that seat!" I hear him shout at me.

Still, I didn't do anything. All I could think about was the cloudiness in my mind that was flowing through, and it wasn't like Vernon was gonna make it any less blocked.

"That's it…" I hear him say. A second later, I felt the collar of my shirt get pulled, as I was forced out of the seat and was taken out of the office by the vice principal.

I saw the library doors, but it wasn't like I was heading for them. In fact, they were getting further and further away from my view, as we turned another hallway. I started to think of a few options… One: Beat up Vernon, Two: Run away from Shermer and ride the rails to somewhere far away… Or three: Just die.

But before I could do anything into action, I was shoved into an empty classroom, and I saw the man in gray push me straight into a desk, and I felt myself fall into a seat.

_Welp… it was a good run, folks… _I thought to myself. I was in a room with an angry bull, and by the look of him, he was about to lay the horns on me. The _longhorns_.

Vernon tried to say something to me, but he wasn't able to grab his words for a few seconds. All he could do was pace around a few times and wonder what to say. He threw his suit onto the desk. _Did he want me to say something first?_ It wasn't like I was gonna say something to him first.

Finally, Vernon sat on the teacher's desk, still having his eyes deadlocked on me. He finally found his words, "I just don't understand kids today… Everything was fine around here until you came along. If that wasn't your first mistake, I don't know what is… Being born, perhaps?"

Damn right I was offended. Here I am being yelled at by Vernon, and then he tells me that being born was the first mistake I've ever made?!

Before I could do something, I saw Vernon lean forward and jab a finger in my face, "I thought a city person like _you_ would change course the second you entered Shermer. I cannot tell you how stupid I am to think of that! You're gonna end up just like John Bender: A waste of space!"

I breathed in heavily, my voice shaking with fury. I was sweating. I felt my face get hotter. I felt like I was gonna throw up.

"And you think Bender's got a shit life, it's what he's gotten you believing?" Vernon tells me, "You may have been good back at the city, but here's the thing: You don't _belong_ here…"

My eyes flicker with shock and rage. My mind started coming back to Mark Grindon, who had told me that I shouldn't even be here since I was city-blooded. _I just wanted to start a new life somewhere quieter and without anyone trying to hurt me. Is that too much to ask?_

As for Vernon though? I thought someone like him would finally listen to me, even if he was a douche. But here he is calling me trash, not even listening to me. He's being more than just a douche.

"You think you're the fuckin' shit… You think you deserve much better by being here? Here's what I think, pal! You don't! Ya have a better chance of being dead than being here! That janitor told me what he might think about you in a decade or so…"

My mind immediately raced back to Carl and what he said about me being roadkill in the future. _How'd Vernon know about that? Did Carl tell him?_

Vernon towered over my seat, glancing down very menacingly, "You think your so fuckin' tough, huh? You can take a beating?" The next thing that happened shocked me. I felt something. I felt a clammy, medium-sized force blow against something. I heard something. I heard that same blow as if it were hitting against something soft. Something like skin.

I saw my glasses land on the empty seat next to me, a perfect place where some yahoo might find the perfect opportunity to use their ass to squish against.

Then I felt something else. I didn't know what it was at first, but then I started to make it out to be a sore, tense blow squared into the left side of my cheek. It reminded me of hell the assholes back in the city gave me. It was nothing more than the stinging, sour sensation known as pain.

"Take it like that!" I hear Vernon's voice again, "You look _so strong_, little man! Yeah, why don't you try and whip one of those back at me!"

I turn my head to see Vernon, who was inches towards my face, his own red with fury. "Come on, I dare you! Fight me…" he growled.

I didn't do anything. I just sat there, paralyzed with shock and delirium. I expected a burnout like John to do that to me. I wasn't expecting _Vernon_ to do it. He's far worse than a douche. _I wonder if he's done the same with other kids in detention. Even John…_

"Get back at me!" I hear him yell at me, "You wanna yell like a street rat, why don't ya fight like one too! I dare ya!"

I stared at the man, still agitated, but unable to move myself to make the next hit.

"Come on…" he growled, "DO IT!" he slammed his fists onto the desk. I could feel my desk rumble from the vibrations.

He stood again, towering over me with his trademark glare. "Give me the next shot! I want you to, you gotta! Come on, I wanna see you try! Just, just do it alright, I'm open!" he kept on egging me.

But the more I could think about beating up the asshole of a vice principal, the less I could actually do it… I couldn't do it.

Vernon stood in front of me, his right fist still shaking as if he would throw another punch at me. He looked like he was ready to. But I couldn't do it. _Can't even bother… _I kept thinking in my head.

Then Vernon's fist slowly landed onto the desk. For a few seconds, there was nothing. The wind outside was softly rustling against the school. The clock was ticking throughout the room. There were dust bunnies that were smudged into the cracks of the floor. Silence was filling up the whole room. For me, though, I felt like Vernon was gonna do a sneak attack and knock me out of nowhere. Even if he was gonna take his next shot against me, I felt paralyzed to fight back. All I did was just wait for Vernon for his next move.

A few more seconds pass by, and Vernon's fist opens up into a hand. _He's softening up just like that?!_

"You can't do it, Camm…" Vernon said, darkly shaking his head, "Just look at yourself. You don't even have a spine! Even if I pounced on you and ripped your dick out of ya, you'd never have the gall to fend for yourself…"

Even though I didn't look angry from Vernon's perspective, I could feel some anger bubbling over. I was too tired to even unleash it on the jerk.

"Not only are you just bait for roadkill, but you're just a wimp. A pussy, actually. You may act all tough and in the 'hood…" Vernon squatted down to my level, pointing his finger at me again, "But the inside of you… you're nothing… No one cares for you, and I doubt anyone will remember who you are when you're left for dead, you diggin' it? You're just another worthless street rat."

I couldn't believe what he was saying. He was trashing me, telling me I'm nothing. I could hear my heart's beating once more. I could feel the anger boil up even more. My eyes started to lower as long as I was staring at Dick.

Vernon slowly stood up from my level, still glaring at me hard. None of us said anything for a few seconds, before he pointed his finger at me yet again.

"Lemme tell you what I'm gonna do with you." he said, "I won't give you another Saturday detention, or expel you, or do anything…"

My thoughts started to become confused. I was hoping he wasn't gonna get the entire football team to beat the shit out of me until I would finally be killed and then he would do everything in his view to get away with it.

"I'm gonna do something worse… far worse for ya…" he leaned into my face again, "I'm gonna make your life a living hell here…" he sinisterly chuckled.

My eyes started twitching, but I don't think he would give a shit. He was still going for it.

"I'll make sure you are fixed here… You'll be given the shits of what good ol' Shermer will do to a city germ. And it won't be just me; it'll be _everyone…_"

I started thinking about Mark again. I started thinking about Stubbie, how Andrew had told me that he wasn't the friendliest guy around the school. I started thinking about every jock, every burnout, prep, goth, nerd, musician, etc. I felt they're all gonna come after me just because I don't want to be with any of those types of groups.

"Yeah… you'll be shat and spat on by everyone to make sure you're given the treatment a dirty city person deserves. And I won't be there to stop them. It'll be great to see what justice you'll get… You'll just wait and see, got that?"

I could feel a tear welling up from my right eye. Just the fact that everyone at Shermer has the right to hurt me, and that Vernon will not do a shit about anything. It wasn't fair. _What did Chicago ever do to you, Vernon?_

Vernon stopped pointing at me and was about to turn towards the door. But not before he could say this, "You've just made your own bed, Camm. Only time will tell when you're gonna go and finally lie in it." He started walking away, his personality still as dirty and devilish as always. When he got to the doorway, he pulled down a blind on the doorway's window. Then he turned around one final time. "Mark my words…" he said quietly, but I could still hear the menacing tone in his voice.

And then Vernon reached for the door handle and slowly closed the door shut. I could hear a key jiggling from the other side of the door. After a few seconds, I could hear him walking away.

As I heard him walking away, I started to shiver. I could feel my hands balling up into fists. I could feel more tears forming, as I was starting to build something. I could hear my own heart beat faster than a drum riff.

Then I started hearing the voices of Vernon, Mark, and the gangs that attacked me on the streets. I started hearing them curse, yell, beat me up. I started twitching each time they spat on me. I felt like I was about to be what Carl said about me: beaten into unrecognizable roadkill.

When I couldn't hear Vernon's footsteps anymore, I started snarling. The fury I couldn't unleash further started to work its way up. I had no other way to do it but now. I just exploded.

At lightning speed, I saw myself roar at the top of my lungs, standing up like I was blinded by rage. I _was_ blind by rage! I didn't know what to do next, as the harsh words Vernon said to me droned through my head.

The first thing I saw was the desk I sat on. Then the next thing I knew, I was lifting it over my head, and then the next thing that happened I saw the desk with a crack formed from the top to center, lying against the board. I barely even heard it's impact. I was more than livid at this point. I was out of control.

I was thrashing about onto the desks, knocking each and every one over. But the next desk I threw down, I was on the chair, senselessly wailing on it. I wouldn't even give a shit or seven if Vernon barged back in and called the cops to sedate me and take me into solitary confinement, nevermind throw me out of this school with his own bare hands.

Then I went at it and threw the chair at the other side of the classroom, taking out a poster of Albert Einstein. Then I noticed a wheeled table to my side, where I went at it and threw down to the ground. Then I took another chair and started repeatedly throwing it against the down table.

And then suddenly, I started feeling something I could recall feeling a few hours ago.

My vision started blurring out, and before I knew it, I started shaking uncontrollably. And this time, I didn't have anyone stop me this time.

_What am I doing? _I thought, _Why do I feel this? Why am I feeling this fury? Why am I not feeling well? What is wrong with me?_

I was shaking so violently, it was that point that I needed help. Very badly. Groaning from this tense feeling, I tried to force myself out of this. But I could barely even get my limbs to stop it. I couldn't stand straight, as I fell to the ground.

My vision was getting blurrier and cloudier, and I couldn't even do anything to stop it. I could feel myself thrashing across the floor, trying to stop myself from this weird feeling, but it was fruitless.

Then I screamed. I screamed as loud as I could as I knew something was about to be even worse for me. But then I started realizing that I wouldn't be heard at this point. I don't think anyone will hear me. Vernon, Carl, John, the quartet in the library, anyone else at this damned school; heck, I think my scream has been drowned out by the thunderous sounds at O'Hare.

My voice faltered down, to the point where I couldn't even make any noise anymore. I couldn't move my limbs anymore. My vision went to black. I was out.


End file.
